To be known is to be loved & to be loved is to be known...

http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=46e6e8ca98b9123f2249

Go watch this video. It is a 2 minute 37 second video expressing the perspective of the woman at the well (John 4:1-42) Take a few moments to watch and then come back and examine my challenge - accepting is up to you.

How many people do we know in the same position this Samaritan woman was in? How many people want to be known? How many people want to be loved? How many people have given up on someone knowing them..all their hopes, loves, fears? How many have stopped hoping, wishing, and praying? How many have isolated themselves into a private jail because of all the pain and disappointment?

How many of us are guilty of walking by and condemning people like the woman at the well? How many of us whisper and cast judgmental glances? How many people do we encounter on a regular basis without acknowledging them, without knowing them, without even seeing them? How many hopes and dreams are we shattering by staying in our comfort zones? How many private jails are we keeping locked down by simply failing to love?

"To be known is to be loved and to be loved is to be known and otherwise, what's the point in doing either one of them in the first place?"

My heart aches at the realization that we are not living up to our calling. We are called to love the way Jesus loves, to be His hands and feet on this Earth, to reach out and touch the untouchable, to love the unlovable. We are to encourage those who have lost the will to hope and to dream. We are to know people - to truly know them. I fear that we have moved past loving people and moved into superficial relationships, if I can even call them relationships. We cannot be more concerned with how many people we recognize, than how well we know them. We cannot replace love with indifference. We cannot believe that exchanging a quick 'hello' in the classroom, office, or church is enough to make someone feel loved. How can we love someone if we don't know them? And how can we reach out and know them if we don't truly, consistently love?

My challenge to you is simple: Love people & know people.