me too.

One of my sorority sisters and I were sharing breakup stories the other day at dinner.  It was the coolest thing, because as both of us were telling our stories, the other kept interrupting with, “YES!” or, “Oh my gosh, I know exactly what you mean!”  It is so comforting to go through something awful, and then realize that someone can relate to experiencing the same thing.  There’s this guy James Baldwin that once said, “You think your pain and your heartbreak are unprecedented in the history of the world, but then you read.  It was books that taught me that the things that tormented me the most were the very things that connected me with all the people who were alive, or who had ever been alive.”  Books do it, poetry does it, music does it.  That’s why I love listening to breakup songs, because you realize that as sucky as you felt, someone else UNDERSTANDS, and put the feelings you had into words that you couldn’t quite come up with.  You aren’t alone. 

Its not only commiserating about a breakup, though.  How awesome is it when you find out that someone else loves the same sports team/TV show/obscure band as you (Cincinnati Reds/Friends/The Classic Crime fans, where you at?!).  Or realizing that someone else shares a really secret thought or weird quirk that you have (anyone else have this intense fear of setting your alarm for a "normal" time, so you always wake up at like 7:26 or 8:03?).  There is nothing better than hearing those two words- “Me too.”

That’s one reason why, and bear with me while I try and get deep for a second, Jesus is so dang cool.  Jesus is God’s way of saying “Me too.”  God is so other than us, so infinite and good and holy and loving, and as hard as we may try we just aren’t those things.   He knew that we would have the thought that all Christians have probably had at some point- “God, it’s just so HARD down here on earth.  There is so much sadness and brokenness and hatred and temptation.  You just don’t understand.”  So He sent Jesus, and Jesus can say, “Me too.  I’ve walked on earth too.  I’ve felt that hatred and sadness too.  I’ve been tempted too.”  Jesus is that member of the Trinity that we can really relate to, and because of Him we know that God DOES understand how we feel.  And we are left without an excuse, because Jesus was on earth and did deal with the same hatred and sadness and temptation, and yet still maintained his goodness and holiness and love for others.

Anyways, I guess I want to leave you with a couple things.  First of all, don’t be afraid to open up to people around you, because one of these days you’ll find someone who says “Me too!” and it will make you feel great inside.  Second, remember that even God can say “Me too.”  He really does understand what we’re going through down here, and even though He can’t relate to our sin and failure, He loves us in spite of ALL of it.  Pretty great.

-S