26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. John 14:26-27
Sometimes, late at night, I am summoned to the nursery by my 13 month old son, Elias. He is at the age, and has been for some time, that he does not like to be alone in his room. He can play with his toys by himself only if you are in the room with him. He will eat his dinner by himself only if you are sitting nearby. He is able to go on a long car ride only if one of us acknowledges him by holding his hand every hour or so. And at night he can sleep soundly only if he knows you are near. Usually Pam or I will come into the room and quietly observe. Sometimes I will sit outside his crib to let him know, “I am here. I see you. I know you are in need. Everything is fine.” Sometimes Elias will lay back down in his crib, and fall back asleep. There is something about the presence of a familiar voice or face that brings a sense of peace into his life.
In some research I have been reading, apparently the same is true for our young people of the church. Although their ways of seeking comfort is via media and technology, experts say that the technology is not the driving factor of social media. The messages young people are sending are the same basic human needs of any person that has lived in any era; “Where are you? Do you see me? I have needs. Will everything be okay?” Think of any young person. The person you are thinking of might seek attention by acting goofy in school. Maybe they go the extra mile for their favorite teacher. Perhaps the young person you are thinking of is someone who is bullied and responds in inappropriate ways by harming others back. The message they are sending is the same.
Beyond our young people, I bet any aged person in our congregation seeks the comfort of God in these ways. In reflecting on this for myself, I know that through the journey of my dying father, I am dependent on God to know: where God is, if I am seen, if my needs are acknowledged, and if things will be okay. I have been blessed in our congregation with prayers and conversations with individuals. If the needs that we have is to be comforted by the love and grace of God, what would happen if everybody in our church was met with these conversations of care and support? Could the church be more unified if we were focused on caring for each other by this type of care? Maybe the more we do this, the more we are able to know peace in our hearts because we will be spreading the love of Jesus to one another. When I am cared for by a church member, I know Jesus is reaching out to me. Jesus is saying; “I am here. I see you. I know you are in need. Everything is fine.”