Welcome to this conversation

Living Room - Episode 2: Making Room. Room to live may be about your inner, spiritual self but you can’t find it alone. Neither can anyone else. A basic message of the Bible is about being welcomed and welcoming others into shalom, well-being, peace, by making room. A challenging message in our world filled with privileged, bubbled and alienated people. It’s a vision for us to live into.

Episode 2: Making Room

“I have come that you may have life, and have it abundantly.” - Jesus

Consider these notions about Living Room:

• Living Room is necessary for you to be fully human. = Your True Self

• Your Living Room, or lack of it, impacts others.

• Including others in your Living Room expands your own.

• And, this week - Life, in its fullest form, is about sharing, not protecting your Living Room.

Living Room is an inner spiritual issue and a physical circumstantial one.

On his wilderness journey Jesus was tempted to choose the path of using his power to simply feed people, to which he said, People don’t live by bread alone. (Lk 4.4) Physical needs aren’t everything.

But Jesus also said that when we feed, clothe, care for or visit those who some might consider the least of all people, we are doing it for God. Our physical selves aren’t just shells for our spirit, they are also who we are!

My action or inaction for those without Living Room is an expression of my self understanding.

Hear this, you that trample on the needy,

and bring to ruin the poor of the land,

saying, "When will the new moon be over so that we may sell grain;

and the sabbath, so that we may offer wheat for sale?

We will make the ephah small and the shekel great,

and practice deceit with false balances,

buying the poor for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals,

and selling the sweepings of the wheat." Amos 8.4-6

Justice is being in a right relationship with Self, Others & God.

Everyone having space to be safe should be a given.  

Everyone having space to thrive should be what we seek.

For others to have this space we either have to give up, or share some of our Living Room. 

Something to consider: If sharing space with other people was as easy as it is right, it would already be happening and we wouldn’t be talking about it. Yet it does happen. Who do you share living room with? Who shares it with you? Thinking of those people, how do you think of giving up versus sharing living room?

Sharing our Living Room with others means:

• We don’t allow and tolerate but welcome and appreciate. 

• Inaction and silence on behalf of the oppressed are consent and complicity.

• Being the welcomer doesn’t make you the terms setter. This is something created together by what is right, not advantageous.

Something to practice: Jesus was known to say over and over that “The kingdom of heaven is near.” He didn’t say it was “Here” but that it was “Near.” It is as close as your ability to see it and be it. Many people think Jesus saw it, and was it. Dare to welcome someone into your Living Room this week and make the kingdom of heaven a little nearer for them. See it and be it, if only faintly.    

More Resources…

Group Discussion Guide: Click HERE.