This visual is helpful to consider if we either (A) feel guilty for losing touch with dear friends or (B) feel bored with our current circumstances.
Family is obvious. These are the people you do the most with.
Church can be as intimate as a small group or as large as our brothers and sisters across the world.
Natural friends are those we often never would have imagined; that neighbor, that parent, etc.
Unnatural friends are often old friends that never seem to cross our path anymore.
Let’s start with scenario (B) described above. Often times life can begin to feel monotonous. These circles are meant to be pierced in progression. Jesus should be at the center of it all, propelling our family to engage with the Church, to love well our natural friends, and to pursue even the unnatural friends (because they’re worth it). Could our life feel monotonous because we are trying to keep these circles separate?
When we live mission-minded within our unique circumstances, scenario (A) is often resolved naturally. Consider Jesus, who intentionally left the comfort of Heaven to embark on a humiliating rescue mission in a world far far away. Perhaps it’s not guilt we feel, but neglected conviction.
Here’s a grenade of a question: Why do I exist?
Here is perhaps an overly simplified answer: We exist to bring specific people to specific people, and together, we all grab a corner, carve through the chaos, cut a hole in the roof, and bring those specific people to the feet of Jesus.
That’s it.