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Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about empty chairs. I know. I know. That probably sounds weird, right? Despite how odd that sounds, I do think about the person who should be sitting in that chair.
In my role as a youth pastor, I envision people who have graduated and the places they used to sit. I notice the chair of the kid that is empty because football practice has gone long that day and they didn’t want to come to youth sweaty.
I reflect on the Christian community that has been built through the years with the people who have sat in those chairs. They are part of my community, and maybe they are a part of your community too.
I also spend time thinking about community and what it means to bridge the gap between different personalities and ages along with connecting people from different backgrounds. I think about this generation of young people who look at community from a different lens because they are digital natives.
There are many things that I wrestle with and think about in respect to connection and community. I wrestle with the fact that most of us are over functioning in our lives and how that creates a wall between us and genuine community.
I don’t have all the answers, but one thing I know for certain is that we were built for community. We are not built to live life alone, but to walk together in faith, love, and service. In a world that often tells us to focus on ourselves, Philippians 2 reminds us that it’s not about us; it’s about Jesus and the people He has placed around us.
Take a minute and think about the empty chairs in your life. The person who should be there, the person whose presence matters. It reminds us that people matter, relationships matter, and showing up for one another matters.
As we follow Christ’s example of humility and selfless love, may we become a community that notices, serves, encourages, and reflects the heart of Jesus.
Grace and Peace,
Nichole
Prepare for Sunday by reading
Philippians 2:1-11
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