When did living in a glass house become a bad thing? Shouldn't we do everything possible to make our lives an open book? Shouldn't the guy down the street know us? Why do we put up privacy fences, live in gated communities, and use the remote for the garage as the key to our house? When was the last time YOU used your front door?
Are we afraid of other people?
I would argue that we are afraid of what other people will find out about us if we were to let them see into our lives. This is the intriguing part of all the reality TV shows. We can look into other people's lives without reciprocity. We can throw stones at their glass house and keep our house free from intrusion!
Who knows you? Who knows that you yell at your kids when you are stressed and tired? Who knows that your marriage is not all that? Who knows that your time with God is a passing glance as you rush out the door? Who knows what is your greatest temptation? Who knows your dreams and despairs?
If you cannot name anyone but your immediate family, you are not living in community. You are removing the windows of your house - sure it is more efficient, but . . . Living in community is to live in a glass house. It is where we learn about ourselves and what we could become. Community is where we share our lives and learn to bless others.
Have you ever noticed that model homes have every light in the house turned on and the drapes and curtains are wide open? That is because nobody lives there. There is a place for modesty and appropriateness - but our lives should be welcoming, inviting, authentic and sincere.
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Thoughts, some profound, and others that are not-so-deep. Some are responses from the pastor of a church community in downtown Colorado Springs to questions texted to him during the weekly service.
2 comments:
I totally agree with this statement. Funny, how one of the reasons we moved downtown was to not have fences and to know our neighbors. I work in a place that deals with people everyday allday, I get to know people and what they want and are afraid of, but I usually do not let people into my life enough so that they know my dreams and fears. It is an easy way to hide, right in front of everybody. Thanks mr. Pb coach, you have given me stuff to work on.
The thing I struggle with the most is not living in a glass house, but using modesty and appropriateness (hence the comment from the priest next door about putting curtains on my windows). I need to perhaps draw the curtains more. I hope that I never get to the place where I pull into the garage with a remote control door opener and never see the light of day again. I hope that I continue to sit on the front porch every once in awhile and enjoy the sun and the people who pass by. I hope that my transparency will bless the lives of others.
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