My friend, Robby (Week 4:5)

Topic: Week 4- Jesus and the kingdom of God
Theme for 6 Weeks- Who is Jesus and what difference does it make?

Read Luke 22:24-27

This kingdom of God Jesus comes announcing, and embodying, is truly an “upside-down kingdom.” It’s certainly not always easy and it often defies logic among standards in the world, but it is good. Very good. The way and life with the King and this kingdom brings meaning, even as it is upside-down.

I’ve known Robby (as I’ll call him) since 7th grade. In so many ways, our differences would not have brought us together naturally. He was from a wealthy family, he was Jewish, and he lived in a huge, expensive home on the other side of town. I came from a blue collar, middle class family, my parents were Christian, and we lived in a small, modest 3-bedroom, 1-bathroom home.

Sports brought us together in junior high. I played on the same baseball, basketball and football teams with Robby. He was the second-baseman and leadoff batter; I was the centerfielder and hit behind him in the line-up. On the baseball field, basketball court and football field we became good friends. We often sat next to each other on bus trips to games.

Robby was “normal.” He made all “A’s” and “B’s.” He was our class president one year. He chose “The Age of Aquarius” for the theme song of his campaign for class president; it worked. (Trivia for the old dudes: what group made this song popular in the 70s?) He had tons of friends and was at the popular parties.

Then something happened. It’s a longer story, and not that pertinent to my point here, but Robby was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. He’s been in “institutions” ever since the early 80s. I lost track of him except for an occasional call to me over the years. I haven’t seen Robby for 30 years, until this past month. He’s living in Colorado and in a nursing home. I hunted him down and we met last month.

I met Robby and we went to lunch. It was pretty startling to me, because, instead of the guy who you would expect to have a family and decent job, I looked into the eyes of a guy who looks a homeless man on the streets of Denver. At 5 ft. 9 inches, his 260 pounds slows him down. (Not the old Robby who was the fastest on the team.) He is sockless in beat-up tennis shoes. His pants and shirt are stained with food. During lunch, he gulps food and it’s sloppy. He’s balding, like yours truly, and his hair isn’t combed. He takes a break to smoke outside; he smokes three cigarettes, in rapid order, on the bench outside. His health can’t be that good. Messy.

But, here’s the deal: God has asked me to love Robby and take him out to lunch. I am to just flat-out love him. Hang out with him. That, and Robby in particular, is another sign of this upside down kingdom. In addition to my family and friends, and my church community, The Bridge, I need people like Robby in my life.

My friend teaches me grace. It teaches me how I don’t earn God’s love. Being with Robby is another sermon to me about everyone being created in the image of God and that God loves the world. And, it is a reminder to me of the kingdom of God Jesus embodied, announced and called us to: the great reversal. Up is down. The last are first. You enter like a child. The greatest is the one who serves. The greatest power is self-sacrificial love. The cross of Jesus is the greatest witness to all of this.

So, I’m thankful for Robby. When I bring him pictures and articles of our junior high basketball team, we recall how Wiggins used to have that sweet jump shot from the baseline, we laugh about an old girlfriend, or I see a full, body-laugh from Robby when we share a crazy story from the past, I experience joy and life within in a strange way. Over a messy, sloppy, cheap lunch I get another glimpse of what Jesus is talking about in the nature of this “upside-down” kingdom of God.

And...I want the "Robby's" of the world to be welcome in our church community.

Question: What are the ways you hear and see God speaking to you about the upside-down nature of the kingdom of God?

Prayer: Lord, it is easy for me to gravitate to the things that are comfortable. I give thanks to you today for all that you have given me- this relationship with you, relationships with others, and all that comes my way. Help me to have my heart open to ways you continue to speak to me, even in the uncomfortable things that come my way. In your name, Amen.