A Friend Saves a Place for You

Today a friend sent me a link to an article about the Country Rock Church, a new worshiping community in Ohio that had its first worship gathering in a bar, and they had quite a turnout. With the promise of live bands, wings, pizza, rowdy fun, and a short message... the group that sponsored the service created a space for those who normally don't find their place in houses of worship.

Creating a space... a place to be... a spot to hang...

Can you relate to the experience of going into a classroom that looks pretty full, and you see across the room... a friend waving to you and pointing to the seat he or she has saved for you? Feels pretty good. Your place was saved. You belong. Friends do that for one another in a lot of ways.

I remember one Sunday evening during my third year of college, when I was hanging out in a dorm room with a bunch of friends, most of whom had just come from a late night candlelight worship service. We were enjoying the last few hours of our weekend, eating and laughing and being together. But I was soundlessly weeping inside, feeling as alone as I'd ever been. I had admitted to myself during that worship time, that I didn't believe a word that I had sung or said or heard. I believed nothing. And I was miserable. And ashamed. And I didn't want to shake anyone else's faith, didn't want to bring anyone else down to the pit with me. So I wrote a note to my friend across the room, my dear friend, David, whose faith I couldn't shake, because he was an atheist who said he had none. I folded up my loaded note and tossed it over the heads of our mutual friends. (Yes, once upon a time we had no texting and IMing...)

David read my note, gave me a knowing look, and wrote back. What I read surprised and warmed me. My friend encouraged me to keep searching, to not give up. He said even though he couldn't believe in God, he always found himself with friends who did... that we all had something special that was worth holding onto. David gave me a place to be. He saved a space for me until I came to the point where I could risk talking to others about my struggles... and could begin to find God again. I hold onto the hope that somehow I was able to do the same for him... by being God's caring presence for him in his times of trouble, even though he wouldn't recognize that caring space as God's own.

One of my favorite things about Jesus is that he provided a space for those who had none. He drew into his circle those that the rest of the world had put out with the trash. He did so even when it endangered his reputation, his comfort and safety, and even his life. And Jesus continues to do so, continues to save a place for each one of us: a place where we can hang with God... both in this life and in the life to come. And we act as Jesus' open arms and listening ears whenever we give a lost soul some place to belong.

Oh, and by the way, By the Way is coming closer to finding that space and time we might create... for being with God in worship and prayer. Please join the conversation about what you see as the need in our area, for people all along the spectrum of faith or unfaith to give one another a place to be.

~ Kari Henkelmann Keyl ~