Show Up When You Can't Show Up

Let me tell you about Chris and Becky.

On weekends, I work part-time as a DJ in the wedding industry. Earlier in March of this year, I was scheduled to work a wedding reception for a couple, Chris and Becky. They were expecting about 250 guests. When I spoke to them on the phone the week before to go over all the details of their event, we had a great time. We laughed, we joked, and we made some big plans for their wedding celebration. They were excited about their big day.

Then, COVID-19 happened. 

The President announced international travel restrictions. People were encouraged to avoid gatherings of 1000 people or more (this was before it was classified as a “pandemic”). This led to the cancellation of sporting events, concerts, festivals, and even some movie theaters started to sell a limited number of tickets to their screenings.

So on the day of Chris and Becky's wedding, only about 80 people made their way to the reception venue. When Chris and Becky arrived, I could tell by the look on Becky's face that she was disappointed by the smaller turnout. She had really hoped for a great celebration with a lot of people, and COVID-19 wasn't allowing that to happen.

I assured her that I would do all I could to help everyone have some fun. She was still disappointed, but my assurance eased her fears somewhat.

When it came time for the Grand Entrance, I let the crowd know that I was there to help them have as much fun as possible. Then I got the Wedding Party all revved up and brought them in to a high-energy wedding song and crazy lights, and got the crowd clapping along. I joked with the crowd. I offered hand sanitizer and antibacterial wipes while taking requests for dance music. I assured people that we were there to have fun, because we were celebrating the beginning of a new marriage. Everyone loosened up as they enjoyed dinner, and when the dance floor opened up, we had nearly everyone in the room dancing by the end of the first song.

That celebration wouldn't have happened if those people hadn't been there. Chris and Becky could have gotten married in a courthouse, or in a private office with their pastor, but without all the people who showed up, they wouldn't have walked away feeling loved and valued by the people most important to them. 

A lot of people say that when it comes to weddings, the DJ makes the party, but that's not completely true. The DJ just helps set the tone of the event. The wedding party, the family, and the friends in attendance are the ones that make the party what it is. 

Why? Because they're the ones that show up.

So what does this mean for us as followers of Christ? It's simple.
In order to make the best impact for the people around us, we have to show up.

I know what you're thinking. We're being told to keep our distance from people as much as possible, and you're saying that the best way we can help people is by showing up? Seriously?

Absolutely. In fact, it's what God commands us to do.

The Bible talks a lot about the importance of showing up. The call of the Great Commission includes a mandate to leave where we are and go somewhere else (Matthew 28:19). The people of Israel were given dominion over a land that God had prepared for them, but they had to go there to take possession (Deuteronomy 10:11). Even advice about how to further our relationship with God calls us to move away from where we are (James 4:8).

Isaiah 61 describes this in verse 1 - "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the suffering and afflicted. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted, to announce liberty to captives, and to open the eyes of the blind." When we care for the sick, feed the hungry, clothe and shelter the homeless, we can't do it from our homes, and we can't do it from the confines of our four church walls. 

The work of the Gospel is all about about showing up. In this time of self-quarantine and social distancing, we can still show up, even if we can't be together.

So, what does showing up look like?

We can attend church online with each other and engage in real-time chat conversations.

We can buy something practical for someone who has a need, whether they’ve been furloughed, laid off, or have seen a drop in their income. We can drop it off outside their home, or have it shipped directly to them.

We can offer a kind word to someone suffering from depression or anxiety.

We can give encouragement to a healthcare worker or a first responder who has exhausted themselves by working back-to-back 12-hour shifts.

We can support our locally-owned small businesses, not only by buying gift cards to use at their business when social restrictions are lifted, but also by sharing information about them on social media.

We can have a meal delivered to someone who can't receive visitors due to their poor health.

If we have to be out and about, we can offer to buy someone's gas, or maybe even offer somebody hand sanitizer or an anti-bacterial wipe.

We can offer to pray for someone in the moment when they tell us about the issues they're facing. To not just say, "I'll pray for you," but to say, "Let me pray with you right now."

This is the time for the Church to walk out what we say we believe. In order to be the hands and feet of Jesus, we have to put in the effort.

Now, more than ever before, we have to show up.

There Is No Box.
Zach