Face to Face


I am thankful for the letters of the Apostle John in the Bible. To me they serve as permission to be brief but weighty in communication. But in the wake of this pandemic, John's concluding line in his second letter laid bare my heart.





"Though I have much to write to you, I would rather not use paper and ink. Instead I hope to come to you and talk face to face, so that our joy may be complete." 2 John 12 (ESV)





I have much to say to those I pastor, and man have I tried using the paper and ink of our day. But I long for face to face. It is what we were meant for. Without a doubt. And thank God we are in the beginning stages of gathering as the church again.





Even with this desire, the hunger for the complete joy we find in community, I don't think John would encourage us to be reckless about it. As a whole I don't think Scripture would either. So I won't infringe on the conscience of others with my claim of my own rights, I will be patient as we get toward the day we can see smiles without masks again, I will attempt to humbly remind and be reminded that every path is an experiment as we don't have all the answers.





I hope to be face to face soon, and that hope will carry us through... We are people of hope, now we get to live like it.


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