update! update!
sorry for the long break. totally retired from writing for a while, because i really couldn't find the purpose in blogs. well, it seems, now i have!
one thing that has been on my heart is the familiness of JYC - is it genuine or superficial? that being said, i totally DO NOT doubt those who truely love JYC and have devoted themselves to making it a warm place for people to come. however, because people aren't perfect, hurts do arise from wrong/imperfect/incomplete relationships.
relationships. that's the key.
from a leader's perspective, it's really good seeing friendships formed and people getting to know one another better. however, i feel that there should be more 'breaking out of the circle' amongst people who have their own group.
yes, it's good to have friends who are closer than the rest, and rightly so. BUT this should not lead to an explicit display of cliques whilst in church. very often, i get people saying, "oh, but it's so-and-so's group that's going for lunch at waterloo, and it'll be wierd if i tag along" and the like. granted, it really is awkward when we first hang around people whom we normally don't. however, we should not let such awkwardness get in the way of us reaching out. we need to face our fears of being the one to break through the ice in the persuit of building relationships that last.
ESTABLISHING GOOD RELATIONSHIPS WITH A BROTHER OR SISTER IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN BEING COMFORTABLE IN YOUR OWN CIRCLE.
think about it. unless God calls us to leave, we'll all be seeing one another for the next 30, 40, 50 years in KY! surely you won't wanna let such childish and damaging habits inhibit us from being truely free to love one another?!
i say that for myself as well. i haven't been perfect at exercising this very important principle. rather, i often fail. but i have learnt that comfort, when exceedingly sought, becomes poison. and i now want as many people to know it!
let us all be deliberately inclusive, with the purpose of making lifelong friendships. it is in our very nature to remain comfortable in our exclusive 'club', and we need to battle that nature, or it can well destroy JYC.
no more "them" and "us". let us be one.
