The Ella Files, Volume I

Today, this blog takes an unusual turn. Ellen Marrs, our Mesa Area Administrator, has promoted this blog as an opportunity for you to get to know what’s on your pastor’s heart and mind. Well, it’s time I let you all in on a relationship I have been establishing over the past two months that has served to enhance my spiritual life, and take me to new levels of formation and direction through modeling.

I’m talking about my dog.

In January, our family went to see some puppies - half-breeds, part black Lab, part Border Collie. We found a cute little thing, put down some cash, and took her home. After tossing around about 500 potential names, we landed on Ella … after Ella Fitzgerald, one of our favorite jazz singers. Now, I knew that Ella would be fun to have around. I also knew that, as a puppy, she would drive us all crazy at times. What I didn’t anticipate was how much this hound would teach me.

So, today is the first installment of Principles of Discipleship, as Modeled by Ella.

Principle 1: People are the coolest thing in the world!

From the time we brought Ella home, she made two things perfectly clear - I want to be with people, and I don’t want to be alone. If there’s a person in the room, that’s where Ella parks herself - at that person’s feet. And, when we take Ella for a walk, it only magnifies this priority of hers. As we walk down our usually-deserted suburban streets, and another human being emerges, the leash is immediately taut from Ella’s insistence that we get to that person as quickly as possible. Funny…I don’t join her in her enthusiasm, but rather find myself wondering about that person - “Do I know her? Is he friendly? Could this be an evangelistic moment? Is she a salesperson? A criminal? Should I stay on this side of the street, just in case?” Ella bypasses such reflection, and sees only a possible moment of interaction - a pat on the head, on the tummy if lucky, a new smell, a new person to lick…that’s all she sees.

In short, she thinks people are great! And…well, I don’t. Not as much, anyway.

Contemporary life has put an even greater distance between us and “strangers.” We’re a fearful bunch, and want to keep ourselves and our families safe from people who might do us harm. “Better safe than sorry,” we say … so we keep our kids from playing in public spaces unattended, riding bikes to the store, or even hanging out with questionable playmates in the neighborhood (all of these things I did as a kid, and all of them are sources of fond memories today). But it’s not just kids. We like our drive throughs, our self-checkouts, our ATMs, our self-service stations … anything that will limit our contact with strangers. When we shop for a home, words like “exclusive” and “secluded” tantalize us. As a result of this brand of contemporary living, most of us have only limited contact with our neighbors … and this doesn’t really even bother us.

The scriptures, and the exemplary life of Jesus, know nothing of such isolation. God clearly points out that human beings are the pinnacle of creation, the 6th-day finale, called out as “very good”. Somehow, though, we would rather stare at the ocean, the grand canyon, or even the specimens at the zoo rather than stare into the eyes of our extraordinary neighbors around us! Jesus regularly took the time to interact warmly and deeply with people who lived on the outer edges of the community (woman at the well, Zaccheus, the man living in the tombs, the lepers, ex-prostitutes, paralytics, tax collectors, blue collar fisherman, political radicals…you get the picture). He even told the story of the Samaritan man who modeled proper community involvement by stopping to help someone may not have even liked.

Somehow, when it comes to loving people, I think Ella is more like Jesus than I am. My prayer is that I would keep my leash taut at all times in my desire to reach out to the wonderful people all around me. Hopefully, I’ll do Ella proud.

God’s best to you all, Bill

(Looking for practical information about Mesa Area Ministries, or East Valley Bible Church? Click on the menu offerings on your right, particularly the Mesa Ebulletin, and you’ll find what you’re looking for!)