Pray for your friends

So, there's a sign outside my room right now which a friend of mine put up today. It's his bill for the school. He owes Spring Arbor a good chunk of money, and wrote on the paper, "PLEASE PRAY OVER THIS!" He didn't ask for money, and he didn't say he's worse off than anyone else; he only asked for prayer. My room is right in front of the stairwell, so when people leave the floor or come up the stairs, they're pretty likely to see it. I've had the misfortune of hearing several people's reactions to this sign. "That's nothing, I owe [insert dollar amount] to the school!" I understand that if you owe a lot more money than someone else does, their problem seems less important to you, but SERIOUSLY. He asked for PRAYER, NOT your criticism and sick pride in your own "poverty." "Oh please, my problems are so much worse than his, he doesn't even have the right to ask for prayer in this matter." That's what I was really hearing from people. If we are going to call ourselves a community of brothers on this floor, then we should be able to look at others' problems and have compassion on them.

Philippians 2:1-4
"So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count other more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interest, but also to the interests of others."

Funny how often we take those words for granted.

Peace.