Friends don't let friends open their mouths when speaking...

I ran into a old friend yesterday.

As we spoke about the recent suicide of a mutual friend of ours with whom we served in the war, I remembered something I wrote recently:

Over the years, like most of my friends from the war, I inadvertently run in to one or the other amid a hurried schedule. It begins with an excited greeting, a hug, and an uncontrollable smile. We give each other a quick run-down of what’s going on in each other’s life, commit to keeping in touch by phone, and promise to get together sometime which usually never happens. We say good-bye, give another hug, and part ways. Every time that happens, I feel euphoric about the encounter.

It never fails.

That is the way it goes every time.

And yesterday, that was the way it was going.

There is one thing I want to change:

Each time we declare our promise to keep in touch, we know that it’s probably not going to happen. We know before it’s said, we’re probably not going to put forth enough effort to make a phone call.

I thought about our friend who committed suicide. I thought of all the ways I could have witnessed to her about Jesus. Not that I knew her that well or had many chances, but I’m sure I could have made attempts. I could have been a better example while we were deployed during the war instead of frolicking in sin like a child dancing in a candy store.

I could have started by actually being a friend.

I could have let her know, I mean really know, she could call me for anything.

Not to get preached to by a Jesus freak, but to be listened to.

Maybe this is a fundamental lesson Jesus has been trying to teach me all along. That preaching the gospel isn’t necessarily preaching, or even speaking at all.

It’s listening.

It’s setting the example.

You see, I’m not gonna go to hell for my sin.

But my actions can damn sure arm the unsaved with just enough reason to justify their continuing down a road of brokenness, eventually leading straight to hell.

Maybe I’m not responsible, but I have damn sure contributed.