Living among crazy people

 An Emoji Devotions For Fri 9th July, 2021

Topic: Living among crazy people

By H.U. Wenger

I have been brought up in a rural region of Switzerland. There was an unwritten set of rules how people have to behave themselves in order to belong to the respectable society. If you wanted to have a chance to once belong to the elite, you better did your best to fit in. Although I often times had a feeling that following those rules was weird and strange, it still breathed a touch of normalcy, because everybody adhered to it. I had just finished my theological studies, when I was invited by a study friend to join him on a trip to New York. I gladly accepted and we enjoyed the musical “cats” at a theater on the Broadway. Around one o’clock in the morning we came back to the street and I could not believe my eyes. The city was much more alive than every city I knew in broad daylight. The street was packed with people, strangely clothed and wearing blinking colored lights on their hats, their glasses or their shoulders. In amazement, but rather appalled by the sight, I said to my friend: Whoever isn’t crazy here must be crazy and I urged him to retreat into our hotel. In my rural and self-righteous heart I could not find love and mercy for the people of New York. They were deviant and appalling to me. 

Highlights: “But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.” (Psalm 86:15)

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22 – 23a)

It took me some time to realize that God has as much grace, compassion and abounding love for crazy people as he has for ruraly normalized guys. In a second step I got aware that my perceived normalcy is in many ways as crazy as the felt craziness of the New Yorkers.

In several steps God showed to me that it is not my job to judge the life-style of any society on this planet, but to live in the spirit. The spirit teaches us the character of Jesus and with it the heart of God. It is absolutely impossible to live in the spirit and not have love and compassion for crazy people. Living in the spirit prevents us from being judgmental. Every single human being was created by God himself in his or her mother’s womb for his glory. He delights in all of his handiwork with love and compassion. As a shepherd searches for his sheep, he searches for you and me, regardless of the craziness we have developed in our upbringing. 

As I was walking the Broadway in New York, I was living in the flesh and could not have any love and compassion for the crazy people. I was bound to an unwritten law of a rural society, although I was a Christian at that time. Would it have been possible for me to lead one New Yorker to the Lord? Not with my attitude at the time. Let us hear what the Apostle Paul says: You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. (Galatians 5:13 – 15)

By living in the spirit it begins to be fun and adventurous to live among crazy people who are the handiwork of God and searched for by him to be saved. 

Prayer: Lord God free me from my being judgmental and let me live in the spirit to spread your character, your joy, your love and your compassion. Let me be instrumental to bring some of my fellow humans back to you. In Jesus name I pray. Amen