Just Show Up: A 5 Day Guide for Exhausted Christians Sýnishorn

Show up like Jesus—In Person

During the pandemic, we got a glimpse of what happens when humans are robbed of physical contact. In response to governmental restrictions, many spent months with little or no contact with people outside their homes. Most still had access to phones and the internet. But it wasn’t enough. Not nearly. Rates of loneliness, anxiety, and depression shot through the roof.

Virtual connection isn’t all bad. But these tools can never replace in-person interactions. At their best, online connections should facilitate physical gatherings and in-person friendships. Social media is a great tool to communicate ideas and make friends. You can impact greater numbers of people on these platforms. But ultimately, I’ve found that while your reach through social media may be broad, the impact that you have on people is shallow. In-person relationships, on the other hand, are the opposite. You can only be present with a small number of people, but the impact you have on them is more profound. It’s narrow, but deep.

Being physically present is a richer experience. It’s healthy and humanizing. But there’s a more compelling reason to show up in person. And it’s simply this: that’s what Jesus did.

We Christians hold to the bizarre and beautiful belief that the God of the universe became a human in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. The disciple John put it this way: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (John 1:14). I appreciate the colloquial spin The Message puts on this passage: “The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood.” I like that because it emphasizes the physical nature of what happened. God truly took on flesh and moved into our midst. Why was it necessary that Jesus come to earth physically? Well, the big reason is that Jesus came to die for our sins. A phantom messiah couldn’t do that. We needed a flesh-and-blood Savior.

Being human meant He could identify with our pain and struggles as well. The book of Hebrews says of Jesus, “We do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin” (Heb. 4:15).

He also came to earth to show us how to love each other. And physical presence was central to that mission. Jesus didn’t isolate Himself like many spiritual teachers of His time. He dove into the mess of humanity, touching diseased skin and disfigured limbs. He let children sit on His lap, and prostitutes anoint His feet. Even when He taught, He often did so with people literally pressing against Him.

We endlessly debate what Jesus would say or do if He was walking the earth today. But there’s one thing no honest reader of the Bible can doubt. He would be with people. He would touch people who were desperate, hurting, and lonely. And that’s exactly what His followers should be doing too.