“Then Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit teaching them to observe (obey) all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” -Jesus, Matthew 28.18-20
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbour as yourself.” -Jesus, Luke 10.27
Brassed off is one of my favourite movies. Set in Thatcher Britain, the film tells the story of the closure of a coal mine and the repercussions on the town which has grown up around the mine.
During all of this, the local brass band is practising for the national champs. Pete Postlethwaite’s character is the conductor who leads the band with an iron will – desiring the top spot in the country.
But the town is falling apart. People have to leave to find work elsewhere, shops and livelihoods collapse and the conductor’s own son tries to kill himself*.
Further to this, the conductor himself is suffering from black lung from years of working down the mines.
But against all odds, the band eventually wins the national competition and Pete Postlethwaite gives the acceptance speech**. In it, he tells how he thought that the music was the most important thing, but realised it was as nothing when it came to people.
This is how God sees things. To him, the most important thing is us!
Yes, the music is great! Yes, there are things for us to enjoy! Yes, the birds and bees and deer and antelope and fish and whales are terrific and add colour to the wonderful world that he has made! Yes, everything even speaks to his sovereignty, majesty and glory***!
But most important in all of that is that people see God. That they come to know him – through Jesus (the way, truth and life, John 14.6) and worship him.
Sometimes, I look around me and see the people and think, “Surely not Lord! That person? Really?” Because people can be… odd.
But it is for each one that Jesus died and conquered sin for. It is for each one that he beat death into submission for.
No matter how weird, different from you, crazy, quiet, loud… That person is beloved by One who puts everything – every resource, every circumstance, every action by another – into showing them love and acceptance and life****.
Our job, as said a few weeks ago, is to make the introduction to everyone. To love our neighbour as ourselves and make disciples.
If we love our neighbour (Jesus makes clear that our “neighbour” is everyone) we can’t but show them Jesus and direct their gaze to his saving grace.
So going back to Pete’s quote from Brassed off, replace ‘music’ with everything that is not people*****, and live a life where all that REALLY matters is the person you are speaking to.
Father, may we make people the thing that matters to us in this world. Thank you that you have made each person and their individuality to praise you. to lift you up. We are so grateful that we are not all the same. Thank you that we can use our differences and diversity to display your uniqueness (but also your oneness) to each other and to the world. May we always make the person in front of us the most important thing in the world. As Jesus did when he was here, living amongst us. Holy Spirit, inspire and direct us as we communicate with people in every way – face-to-face, electronically – by video, voice and written messages or emails – or just thinking of them. May they be high in our esteem, always seeing the best in them and living to bring that out by introducing them to you and allowing you to do your work in them, Lord. In Jesus’s name and for his sake – so be it.