3 John 13-14 --- I have many things to write you, but I don’t want to write to you with pen and ink. 14 I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face.
We arrived at the closing verses in our journey through 3 John. I was sitting quietly with the Lord, reflecting on the past two weeks spent in this book and all the amazing things He's led through in just 294 words. We pressed on through two of the final three verses today.
The closing of this letter/book is similar to 2 John's, where we see there is much more to be said but it's held back for the preference of speaking face to face, or in the Greek it says mouth to mouth. Yes, yes that instant image of giving someone CPR or people kissing.
As a sidenote they did not have CPR in the First Century Roman Empire. Yes, I'm a curious nerd who absolutely investigated it this morning. LOL! If you stopped breathing, had chest pains, and couldn't talk and eat food, according to Aulus Cornelius Celsus, a Roman who wrote 'De Medicina', the first thing to do is bloodletting. Yeah.... no thanks Mr. Celsus. So, armed with that knowledge please do not use a time machine to visit the first century if you have a heart condition or don't chew your food properly. Now you know and GI Joe taught me that's half the battle! LOL.
Okay, silliness aside, face to face interaction is highlighted here, just as it is in the end of 2 John. The desire to meet and talk in person. I know they didn't have all the technological breakthroughs we have. They didn't have the option to call, text, email, or post on social media. So, part of face to face was it was one of two options really. I mean write a letter or go talk to them, right?
I suppose you could send someone else to deliver a verbal communication, but let's be real, we've all played the telephone game, right? The first person (Brother Bob) whispers a message to the next person, then on and on, until the end person shouts the final message, "Banana bear eats slippers for jail crows!". Which is nowhere near the original of course and everyone laughs, except Sister Sue who actually had her slippers eaten by a bear. Yeah, so write a letter or go talk in person if you want to communicate directly.
I do know of course many times a person would be sent to share their personal experiences or teach what they saw firsthand, etc... but I speak of, Person 1 wants to directly tell Person 2 something. LOL.
Joking aside again, even though there were not as many options as today, meeting someone face to face you can communicate in the fullest manner. You can hear tone and inflection in their voice. You see their body language. Sitting across from someone shows a sacrifice to be there with them. There is an affirmation of the other's importance to you. I'm not bashing text, chat, emails, or social media back and forth. Those forms of communication enable us to connect from all over the world instantly, there are powerful connections and important things accomplished, but they lack the realness of human face to face interaction. It's something you just cannot replicate digitally or why a letter just wasn't good enough.
Another piece is John said he was going to confront the situation with Diotrephes as well and you see his plan was to handle it in person, face to face. No social media comments or email to the pastor. To deal with real issues in love requires real interaction. Yes, comments and emails are real, but let's be honest, most people are much bolder when behind a keyboard and screen, than they are in person. Love doesn't hide. So, if it's a true issue, if there is a true biblically verified wrong happening, true agape love won't hide, because it's selfless. Which means it doesn't think about what other people will say or think of you, its heart is set on the person in need of it and is balance of Truth and Love. As ALWAYS this is the love we can only get from abiding in God who is love (agape). It's not our love looking to accomplish, its God's love looking to overcome, restore, build up, bring home and always points back to Jesus Christ!
For example, if I text this:
"Brother Bob, I say this in love, but you laughing at Sister Sue and making fun of her for crying about a bear eating her slippers really hurt her and did not convey the heart of Jesus."
Okay, I know it's a silly example but, what tone did you just hear? Was it angry? Was it loving? Was it kind? Was it harsh? Was the "I say this in love" heard gently, lovingly, sarcastically? The fact I'm even asking you any of this, shows a text cannot convey the true, honest, Jesus filled intent of my heart to talk to Bob about this.
If I asked him to meet me in person, or came to his house, that shows immediately I care enough to go out of my way for him. He can then see and hear the heart behind it in my eyes, in my body language, my tone, and that changes things. He can reject what I say, but he cannot unsee or unhear me and our interaction.That's when the Holy Spirit can step in to work on convicting Brother Bob of his cold hard callousness at Sisters Sue's trauma from the banana bear attack on her slippers.
Again, text, email, chat is not bad, but they leave the door open for interpretation of tone, meaning, intent, etc… That can be an issue when discussing anything but even more so in matters of Truth and Love.
Well, this is the lazily winding road the Lord and I traveled down together this Sunday morning. There's a beauty in walking with the Lord every day through His word that I've never found any other way. I see sides of Him in His Word and our time together in a warm and personal way I never got from quickly reading a chapter here or there or sermons and devotionals. I can be myself with Him, which includes being goofy and having bad bear jokes. He's my Abba and He created me and it's special to just be with Him.
As always this is my journey and oh how I pray you go out your front door with God, put your feet upon the road of life with Him, in His Word, in prayer, connecting with the church, then just going wherever He leads! Don't take my word for any of this, you Be the Berean and talk to Him, then get into the Bible and read for yourself. Meet him face to face in His Word and in prayer. He's waiting for you!
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