Being Where the Action Is

I was talking to Greg D. yesterday morning at church. He's a state trooper, and part of his responsibilities are to work at the Indiana State Fair. If I understand him correctly, his job is to be there and oversee several officers who are out and about at the fair. I think his job is primarily to be there and available -- in an office, at a desk.

The night of the terrible stage collapse he left his desk/office to go check out the concert. Then the unthinkable happened; the stage came crashing down. Evidently Greg was one of the first people involved in rescuing people from the disaster. I was talking with him yesterday about that. He made the joke, "That's what I get for trying to get in free to a concert." I made the joke back, "You should have stayed at your desk in your office." I immediately thought about that statement and then made a serious follow-up comment. "It's risky being out amongst the people. Things happen."

That thought has really stuck with me. Life would be so much easier if I didn't know about all the problems people face/struggle with. I wish I didn't know about child abuse, murdered children, marital difficulties, divorce, addictions, and all the other frailties are a well-known part of human existence. It would be easier to stay in an office somewhere.

It would have been easier for Jesus to stay in Heaven, but "he emptied himself" to come here. Read Philippians 2. He became one of us to help us, and it was incredibly painful for him. He entered into a messy world full of messy lives, a sinful, fallen world. Coming here eventually cost him his life. But it shows us what love is and what service is. And the road to death ended in Resurrection. In this world we will have trouble--almost more than we can handle at times it seems--but there is the hope and the promise of Resurrection.

Get out of your office, and leave your desk. There is work to do. Open my eyes, Lord.