The Gospel of Luke records a pivotal invitation: “One day he got into a boat with his disciples, and he said to them, ‘Let us go across to the other side of the lake.'” (Luke 8:22). More than a simple journey, this was Jesus calling his followers to step beyond the familiar, to serve those they barely knew. In our own lives, similar divine summons arise—beckoning us to cross our own “other sides.” It might be a mission trip to a distant land, a teaching role in an unfamiliar neighborhood, or simply extending a hand to a struggling friend.
God’s invitations rarely conform to our expectations. Some sparkle with promise, almost “too good to be true,” while others drag us, kicking and screaming, into profound transformation. My own two-year sabbatical, initially frightening and unappealing, irrevocably altered my perspective on our criminal justice system. A friend, a courageous Freedom Rider, nearly paid the ultimate price, yet the experience forged him anew. Another, recently returned from Africa, now sees the world through an entirely different lens. History doesn’t record any disciple refusing Christ’s call to the “other side.” And for that, we can be profoundly grateful that twelve answered.
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