Pushbrooms and Dustpans

Yesterday at Hope, we continued our look at "The Joy of Being Forgiven," and we spent the day walking through Paul's letter to Philemon. We saw that this letter is tucked into the New Testament as an example of what following Christ looks like in the real world of difficult relationships.

Onesimus, Philemon's slave, had discovered God's grace and a new beginning, but he had unfinished business with his master. Philemon had been wronged by Onesimus, and there was uncertainty and damage in their relationship. Paul masterfully wrote an appeal that would allow the two men to take their relationship way beyond that of master and slave; he urged them to be reconciled as brothers in Christ. After all, as Paul wrote elsewhere to the Christians in the region of Galatia, within the family of Jesus' followers there is no distinction between Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female, etc. (Galatians 3:28).

It's almost like Philemon and Onesimus needed to take a big pushbroom to sweep away all the garbage that had collected in their relationship -- a task that was so big that it required Paul's assistance. Sometimes, when damage and emotions and all sorts of challengeing obstacles pile up in our relationships, it takes a huge, courageous effort and the help of wise friends and counsselors to clean things out. And though the task is difficult, it is so important that we tackle it together in order to experience the fulness of joy that comes from being forgiven and extending that forgiveness to others.

But sometimes we don't really need a big pushbroom to clean things out; we simply need a little whisk and a dustpan. In a world full of broken people, it's only natural that little "hairballs of misunderstanding" and "dustbunnies of bad moments" will accumulate in our relationships from time to time. Instead of waiting for them to pile up and become a major problem, it makes sense to "clean as you go" -- to keep an eye out for bits of debris and whisk them away as soon as possible.

Of course, this is simple and natural for Christ's followers who truly recognize the blessings and forgiveness of God. The more we realize the wonders of his grace and renewal in our lives, the easier it is to extend that tenderhearted patience and forgiveness to others. That's why Paul appealed to Philemon to live out the abundance of his faith by first focusing on all the good things we have in Christ. (Philemon 6)

I'm really proud of our church family at Hope. I see lots of people carrying little dustpans around with them, ready to brush away debris and keep relationships pure and healthy. And it's a delight to share life's adventure with so many folks who truly embrace the joy of being forgiven.

(Thanks to Bart Garihan for the word picture of "pushbrooms and dustpans." Great mental image, bro!)