"But since we were torn away from you, brothers, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavoured the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face-to-face, because we wanted to come to you - I, Paul, again and again - but Satan hindered us. For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? For you are our glory and joy." - 1 Thessalonians 2:17-20
I have a photo on my desk of Esther and I. You might walk in and think it’s a stock photo, we look so peppy, posed, and polished. It’s a great photo. I keep that photo on my desk because it reminds me of Esther and my love for her. That’s a special thing. But, if I went out on our anniversary and set the picture up across the table from me rather than Esther in the flesh, you’d think I had a few screws loose. Pictures are great reminders, but they are poor substitutes for the real thing.
Hindered But Not Separate.
Paul, in his first letter to the Thessalonians, expresses a similar feeling. He misses his friends and loved ones in Thessalonica. His memory of them is powerful, but he longs for the real thing. We read the story of the birth of the Church in Thessalonica in Acts 17:1-15. Since then, Paul has not been able to get back to Thessalonica to build up the church. He is left with an unfulfilled “desire to see [them] face-to-face.” He has a photo on his desk, but that is not enough.
The longer the restrictions on gatherings go on, the more I echo the Apostle Paul’s heart. We have been torn away from each other. We have been separated by a deadly foe. A virus we cannot see or fully understand has hindered us from gathering and continues to limit almost every action of our lives. Satan has used this time of separation to sow fear, doubt, and division in homes, families, churches, cities, and nations. He has hindered us. But we must remember Satan has limits. All he could do was separate Paul “in person, not in heart.” And so it is with us.
What God Has Joined Together…
“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Romans 8:38-39
Did you see that? NOTHING can separate us from Christ. Which means nothing can separate us from Christ’s body, the Church. No virus can separate us from what is ours in Christ. That is one of the primary promises of the Gospel.
Real issues and concerns are facing us medically, socially, economically, and spiritually. But, in all of this, I hope we, like the apostle Paul, have our hearts in the right place. I pray we long to be face to face with loved ones we have missed and face to face with our brothers and sisters in Christ even if things look different. I pray we do everything we can to stay connected with those we love. But Paul knew that the best encouragement he could offer could only be done face to face, “as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith (1 Thess. 3:10)”. Pray with me that God will break through the fear and uncertainty with his miraculous healing power and restore our fellowship again.
Desire What is Better
“I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face.”
– 3 John 14
We have to remember that “face-to-face” is better. It is how we were designed and how the world was meant to be. As things move toward more familiar patterns of school, work, ministry, and (dare I say it) winter; I pray that all of you will share Paul’s heart to see your church face to face.
If this fall is your first step back into things after a summer of distance, start small. Start with inviting another family over to your place to worship on the live stream together. Or start by taking turns coming to Sunday worship in person with your spouse. You can even choose one week a month to come and register ahead of time. We want you to come back and worship with us. We can all admit that we have missed something in these months of separation. You are loved and we can supply what has been lacking in our faith over these months only by being face to face.
