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- A Theology of Humor by Cheryl Taylor
- Ministering With Humor by Stephanie Nance
- Christian Leaders Having Fun? by Pam Morton with Kathy Jingling
- The Health Benefits of Humor and Laughter by Dwenda Gjerdingen, MD, MS
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- Anatomy of an Illness by Norman Cousins
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The Art of Camaraderie: Mentoring Jesus-Style
By Julianne Nelson
Juli serves as pastor of First Christian Church in Clever, Missouri. An ordained minister, Juli has served in a variety of ministry capacities including church organist, director of Christian education, adjunct instructor in music and biblical studies at Evangel University, and as a retreat speaker. Juli holds a bachelor's degree in music, a master of theological studies from the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary, and a master of divinity from Phillips Theological Seminary. She and her husband Nathan are the parents of two adult children.
I was raised at the knee of a woman ... whose group of friends practiced — and nearly perfected — the art of camaraderie. — Kelly Corrigan, "Transcending"
In Kelly's essay "Transcending," she describes what camaraderie looks like: sharing the good and bad, "leaning and catching," "limping one minute, carrying someone the next."
In other words, doing life together. Isn't that what Jesus modeled for us? That kind of camaraderie?
Some may protest that Jesus never leaned, never limped. But to believe that would be to minimize His humanity, especially at the beginning and end of His life. Jesus entered the world squalling, bare-naked vulnerable, excruciatingly dependent on the good will of others to care for Him. Isn't that part of the shock of the incarnation?
When God put on skin and came among us, He came first not as mentor, but as mentee.
Yes, at 12-years-old, we find Him in the temple amazing the teachers with His understanding and answers. But before Jesus was 12 years, He was 12 months, and before that, 12 days. So for a good while He sat at the knees of a woman and a man, Mary and Joseph, and learned how to be human. Not just how to do carpentry, about which Joseph presumably mentored Him. But how to get along with His siblings, how to say "please" and "thank you," how to study, how to worship — in good Jewish fashion — the God He had come from. He learned how to "do human" well — He learned the art of camaraderie — at the knees of His first mentors, Joseph and Mary.
When God put on skin and came among us, He came first not as mentor, but as mentee.
At age 33, staggering under the weight of an undeserved cross, Jesus was temporarily mentored by Simon of Cyrene who carried that heavy wood a part of the way to Golgotha. And on that cross, Jesus' anguished cry — "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" — voices the horror of disconnection (Mark 15:34, NIV). It might well be heard as plaintive plea of the vulnerable for camaraderie. In His dying, Jesus experienced the longing of the mentee for connection, for someone to "do this with Him." The fact that He called for the ultimate someone — for God — may suggest how primal that longing is.
In between the vulnerability of those two extremes — early childhood and dying — we see Jesus persistently functioning as mentor. If mentoring means "walking alongside of" and "doing life together," we see that model being Jesus' modus operandi. It was normative for Jesus to minister out of the context of relationship. He had regular, ordinary contact with His disciples. He shared meals with them and let them observe His teaching, feeding, and healing work. He also spent quality time alone with them, answering their questions. And He let them see His fatigue, His need for "mentoring time" with His Father. He had perfected the art of camaraderie.
Even those not identified as disciples benefited from Jesus' mentoring ministry style. He shared meals with them, too, in their homes and on hillsides. He entered into others' lives in life-giving ways, advocating for those bent with shame, forgiving those sick with sin, honoring the least of these, and challenging those who oppressed the vulnerable. And He told earth-embodied stories, making His teaching accessible to those who wanted to learn.
Endlessly creative, Jesus formed short-term mentoring relationships with a diverse range of people. Like a corrupt tax collector He found up in a tree. A banished woman He met at a well. A sick man who dropped through the roof to see Him. Jesus had perfected the art of camaraderie, connecting the powerful love of God to others through His own life of integrity and compassion.
Jesus formed short-term mentoring relationships with a diverse range of people.
For those who resisted Jesus' message He was able to function as teacher. The religious leaders heard His words, they saw His miraculous deeds, and they were challenged by His irrefutable wisdom. They would be taught, but they could not be mentored. They would not walk close enough nor far enough with Jesus for the miracle of camaraderie to happen — the miracle of connection with God, self, and others.
We'll never find a mentor exactly like Jesus — One who did it so right. But we have a model to aspire to. As we prepare again to welcome Jesus as baby into our world, we can remember that He started here as mentee. That in itself may be a good model for each of us. That no matter how old we need to have some relationship in which we are mentee. Some relationship in which we are still learning the art of camaraderie from another who lives healthily connected to God, herself, and others.
And as we have opportunities to mentor, Jesus' mentoring instructs us. We can walk alongside people as He did, modeling the kingdom of God. We can let them see our lives up close, practicing integrity and active compassion. We can embody the good news. And maybe one day, in the model of Jesus, we can become those who have nearly perfected the art of camaraderie.
