Missional Hearts Get Broken

Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death-- even death on a cross. (Philippians 2:5-8)

This month marks my 15^th anniversary as pastor at Holy Cross.  All hyperbole aside, the time has really flown by. One of my very first pastoral acts at Holy Cross was to participate in the wedding ceremony for Tony & Carin Bockelman.  Tony & Carin were gracious enough to invite me to participate in their wedding, but not sure enough about the new guy to let him handle the whole deal. We agreed that the interim pastor would conduct the ceremony and I’d smile quietly in the corner until called upon to pray.

The events of that day have been on my mind as a result of a fantastic article in our new Intersection of Faith & Life blog. Since their wedding day, I have been honored to be included in Tony & Carin’s  lives and to watch them with holy admiration and awe.  I encourage you to read the article and learn about the sense of call they possess that has led them to become foster parents.

The thing that really stood out for me when I read the article this week was this:

“The thing is, when you decide to be a foster parent,” Carin said, “you do it because you’re willing to suffer.”  Carin explained that when a family is in trouble, someone needs to step in for the kids involved. “Those kids need someone who is willing to say, ‘I’ll love those kids. It’s ok, I’ll get my heart broken when they leave.”

How many of us would say that we’re willing to suffer for the sake of someone else? Sure, the parents among us willingly and unwillingly suffer on countless levels for our kids. But what about a stranger? What about a stranger who may have physical or emotional issues? Could we say that it’s ok for us to get our hearts broken? And yet, isn’t that the very thing that God does with us? The cross of Jesus reveals that God is willing to enter into our world and our lives even though it means sure and certain death. This is the profound mystery at the heart of the Triune God who continues to enter our world and our lives with compassion and solidarity. This mystery is also our call.

A missional heart beats with the pulse of God’s own heart.  That means that sometimes, that heart’s gonna break.