The little and large of meeting others

As I write I’ve just logged off from a world-wide live-streamed Christian Conference. I’ve been watching thousands of mostly young attractive men and women, gathered in different venues in many nations around the globe, all linked up to the one Conference, based in the Royal Albert Hall. Wow! What a facility the internet is, and what extra-ordinary possibilities it offers for a certain kind of inter-personal communication!

But I logged off early because it left me somewhat unmoved and feeling decidedly out of touch. I prefer the small-scale or one-to-one possibilities. I’m happier when I meet someone in the most ordinary of circumstances, where we can listen to and talk with each other, simply and quite privately – rather as I sense Jesus liked doing in his day.

Amazingly, Jesus was criticised for taking so much interest in ordinary everyday people, irrespective of their supposed reputation or gender or age or faith tradition. But he had such gentle insight into and sincere concern for others. It was, as we say, ‘meat and drink’ to him. Indeed, he sometimes forgot to eat and drink because he was so preoccupied with others’ needs rather than his own.

The first wise vicar who supervised me taught me by example that each and every person has their unique story and God’s infinite love and goodwill is as much for that one person as for another.

That’s why I’m content to leave my large-gathering Christian friends to their internet style of meeting, and may God richly bless them. Meanwhile, I ask Him to help me go on noticing and enjoying the person next door, beside me in the queue, or who finds themselves standing alone somewhere – and, perhaps in that way, may He bless us too.

The Rev’d Dr Richard Hines

Rural Dean