A New Word for the Holidays4 min read

As we approach Thanksgiving and Christmas, many do much to help people in need. Doubtless you are one of them. Too often, however, our help can be little more than an exchange of goods: serve at a food kitchen, provide a gift for a child in need, send money to a homeless shelter. All that is good. But there is something more. Let me tell you about a friend’s wife and a new word.

My friend’s wife is Jenn*. My friend and I have known each other a long time. I am not sure I have ever met his wife. But I have heard of her.

My friend and Jenn are faithful followers of Jesus. They are very active and involved in their local congregation. They are well known in their community.

In addition to this, or because of this, Jenn has a unique personal relationship with Jane.* Jane has issues. She needs help. Lots of it. The government, along with other social service agencies and the Church, provide her that help. Lots of it.

Except.

Except that the help from the government, those other agencies, and the Church, is convoluted and difficult to properly access. That’s where Jenn comes in.

She has taken a personal interest in Jane and serves as a link or a map or a guide or a—well, call it what it really is—a friend to Jane to lead her through all of that. Tons of services and help are available. Friends are few. Friends are needed to make help help. That’s what Jenn is and does.

Spoiler alert: Jenn is often frustrated in her attempt to help Jane. It takes lots of her time. Often her efforts seem futile.

Jesus calls us to be like Jenn.

Remember how Jesus’ opponents criticized instead of celebrating Him for being a friend of sinners? You can almost hear them spit. But of course, that is exactly what he was … and is.

Jesus is a friend of sinners, including you and me. He did not let the religious structure of the day get in the way of providing the help it was intended to provide. As the divine Son of God, he humanized it (true God/true man). He personalized it. He healed, forgave, rescued, saved individuals. He was sent and died for the world, indeed to save the world, but the world is saved personally, that is, person by person, one person at a time.

As Jesus is, so He calls us to be. He calls us to be friends with sinners, that is, person by person, one person at a time.

A recent book introduced the neologism “enemyfying”: viewing opponents as enemies. Shakespeare was famous for neologisms. I am no Shakespeare, but how about this word? Friendifying. The work of the Church and individual members of it are charged with the friendification of individuals.

That brings us back to Jenn. And you and me and the coming holidays.

Yes, let’s stay very engaged in our local congregations and the help they provide, especially at this time of year. Let’s work with other agencies and organizations that provide help to others. But let’s stay actively, personally, messily, gratefully involved in the lives of others individually, person by person. Like Jenn.

Who is your Jane? A neighbor who lost his wife and needs companionship? A grandchild who needs a listening ear? A coworker who needs help navigating the system? A client who always has some issue? A stranger God has brought across your path inviting you to a new friendship?

The Kingdom of God is large and powerful. Larger than we think. We’d like it to grow still more. We’d like bigger congregations and more of them. We’d like to see the power of the Kingdom impacting our communities, nation, and the world more and more.

Keep this in mind at this time of year. The Kingdom is at its largest often in the smallest of things: Jenn, as a follower of Jesus, friendifying Jane.

For more information, see Matthew 25:31 and following.

*Of course, these are not their real names because they are to be the names of everyone. That’s the point.

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