Who’s in your posse?
Remember on Bonanza, or any other western, when there was someone on the run, the sheriff would form a posse of volunteers to go on the manhunt? There would be people from all walks of life, coming together for a single purpose.
A posse can be positive or negative. If the posse refuses to include a particular person or persons, it’s not going to serve the purpose. If the posse puts differences aside and forms a bond, it enlarges, and becomes more productive. Jesus and his disciples were a posse, if you look at it that way. It was all about enlarging, not excluding.
Last weekend I participated in a ladies event at my church. It was Ladies Trivia Night, where ALL the questions had to do with women in some aspect, and it was fun, y’all!
We had around forty ladies there, ages 18 to 80. Usually when you go to a trivia night, you get to pick your team, but not this time – as we entered, we drew a number, and that was our table! No cliques, no BFFs, etc. It was the luck of the draw, and it was amazing.
In John 13:34-35, Jesus says, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Did you get that? Jesus apparently had to say it three times to get his disciples to understand it. Do you think He meant it to STICK? I do. Sometimes the apostles tended to want to exclude certain people, but Jesus would have none of that.
When we truly love one another, we don’t care at which table we sit. We don’t let that fear of getting out of our comfort zone cause us to snub a sister or brother in Christ.
We all have special friends. My very best friends – my posse – were there that night, and I wasn’t on a team with them. But you know what? I made deeper connections with ladies who were not in my age group, my Sunday School class, or other groups of which I am a part.
I think church potlucks could learn a thing or two from this. We tend to gravitate toward people like us, and that’s comfy. It’s nice. But is it building the kingdom of God?
In case you’re wondering, I’m preaching to myself, here. Most people don’t know I’m actually an introvert, and one of my fears is not being able to hold my own in a conversation. I tend to hang out with my talkative extrovert friends so I can basically hide.
You know those personality quiz questions that ask something like, “When you enter a room full of people, do you delve right in or sit on the sidelines watching for someone you know?” I’m the latter.
And yet, I’m so happy God put me in this situation.
He enlarged my posse.
Oh, and our team WON, although one of my friends on another team is considering contesting the final score . . . but that’s a lesson for another day.
Have a great day!
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