Reaction

I had a moment this week that I look back on and shake my head. I was a group of church friends. I mentioned that I would have coffee with another friend later that day. I was asked why the friend had skipped church, and answered that he had been up late.

"Tell him that he should be at church," said a friend.

"No," I said sharply. "I'm going to tell him something else, like that church is a pointless waste of time, and I support him skipping."

Why do people talk to me?

I didn't mean it, of course. He pushed a button. I have friends that I feel are not at church because they think people judge them and take attendance. I want my church to be a place where people are welcomed as they are. Sometimes that seems impossible.

My friend probably just meant that he missed the other guy.

I am worried about the choices the not-at-church friend is making. But I'm still ridiculously defensive on his behalf.

The key word being, "ridiculous."

Priceless are the people who really listen to you, even when that means ignoring your words.