To Know You is to ______?

We all know the older statement from somewhere in our past. “To know me is to love me.” It’s a wide net thrown to essentially say anyone/everyone is a lovable person if you spend time getting to know them.

Truth? Perhaps. But to declare that everyone can be lovable is simply wrong! Some people can’t love! Other’s love selectively. Still, others, well, let’s say they love you from afar until they get to know the real you!

I was thinking this morning about a missing person on one of my social platforms. We connected recently, and it’s been good staying in touch. Then. Voila! Disappeared. I sent an email. They’re back, and all’s well with the world. Then, poof, gone again.

Social platforms are not for everyone, says I. It’s true. Once you comprehend the vitriolic and trolling of such a place, it makes you want to flee for the hills! For me, it’s a good place to connect, much like my old address book had your pertinent info where I could reach out. Remember when a landed phone was the only way to talk to someone far? Or, snail-mail. Today, so much junk fills the inbox (mailbox!).

I pondered this thought today. It’s worth saying. Maybe you’ll comprehend.

To Know You Is Not The Same as Everyone Else’s Knowledge

To know someone is only as real as the time you spend getting to know them. Your needs and baseline are different than mine. What I get out of a relationship from someone will be different for me, as unique as it is for you. We come to the same person from different angles of life. Our personal needs, wants, and experiences often define what we look for when we meet a stranger. Someone brags about their friend, and immediately we wonder if they are as good as what you are hearing. That’s typical. Normal. Expected.

Not everyone has the same approach to anyone as you do.
Your personal needs, wants and experiences make you unique.
What you look for, or expect, will be different than most others.

Think About Jesus

I read a single chapter from Mark 5 and Luke 8 that both deal with the same storyline. Jesus is headed somewhere specific, and the crowds are crowding. Everyone wants something, or they need to know if he is who he says he is.

There are many reasons why everyone flocked to Jesus. Some come because they are repulsed and hate who he was. Others come because of needs. Still, others are following him because there will always be spectators to anything.

Let me extract a single story from these chapters. A ruler of the synagogue (Jairus) comes to Jesus with a need. His daughter is dying. Jesus goes with him to his house. Along the way, there are distractions and moments of revelation. During one of these distractions, someone from Jairus’s house delivers sad news.

While He was still speaking, someone came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house,
saying to him, “Your daughter is dead. Do not trouble the Teacher.”
(Luke 8:49 NKJV)

The bottom drops out of the moment. The father hears the horrible news. Suddenly, I imagine him turning to Jesus and then turning again to go home with knuckles dragging. But Jesus is not done. “Do not weep; she is not dead, but sleeping.”

Imagine the moment. Jairus probably struggled with coming to Jesus in the first place. Then he had hope, Jesus is coming to my house! Suddenly, life appears in the form of other needs and teaching moments. Please, Jesus, hurry! There’s no time! Bad news. Then, Jesus breathes into the moment. Can you believe him? Is it true?

Like a yo-yo or roller coaster, his emotions are probably all over the place. Can I believe him? Could it be true? Think about those back at his house. A wife. Mother. Siblings. Who knows who’s there? Each of them with their views of the moment.

After It’s Done

One time, we had an influential man advise us on an important person. To this day, we brag about him and send others his way. Did everyone have the same experience? Life teaches us that some may, while others may not. It’s all about the sliver of time where an introduction is made, and a need has the potential to be satisfied. Were any of them having a bad hair day at the time of introduction?

Jesus begins calling his disciples to him at the beginning of his ministry. What was everyone looking for these days? The Messiah. Israel had looked for its savior and redeemer since the beginning. How will everyone approach the moment when he shows up?

Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples.
And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, “Behold the Lamb of God!”
The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.
Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, “What do you seek?”
They said to Him, “Rabbi” (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), “where are You staying?”
He said to them, “Come and see.”
They came and saw where He was staying,
and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour).
One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him,
was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.
He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him,
“We have found the Messiah” (which is translated, the Christ).
(John 1:35-41 NKJV)

Andrew was with John the Baptist. He hears the declaration on the identity of Jesus and follows Him. His brother? None other than Peter. Eventually, Andrew finds Peter. Imagine the conversation. We have found the Messiah. Yeah. Heard that before. (There were many false prophets.) Though we know the ending of that connection, how did Peter approach Jesus the first time? What was he looking for? Was he only appeasing his brother? Who knows?

Close It Out

I realize I’m a unique personality. As with you, I don’t always shine my best every moment of any day. One day, someone said to me, “You smile too much.” That nameless person doesn’t realize, but they gave me a badge of honor. That’s my personality. I’m deep, but I also like to connect. My smile, or I certainly hope so, helps others feel at ease when they are first meeting me or needing me to fill a need.

Throughout my life, I have found people who don’t care about others. I’m not sure how they became that way, but that’s not me. Fool me once, goes the old saying, shame on you. Fool me twice. Shame on me. We should all be wary of people seeking to be friends until we know what they are looking for. Don’t be quick to toss personalities away, nor believe everyone is only there to get out of you what they can. A con artist comes to mind. Wise as serpents. Harmless as doves.

Here’s my advice at the moment.

A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
(Proverbs 18:24 NKJV)