In February 1941, during the German bombing of London in World War II, James Welch of the British Broadcasting Corporation wrote to an Oxford tutor known for his prize-winning scholarship on medieval literature. Would he do a war-time radio series? Altogether, C.S. Lewis would complete a four series of talks for the BBC, which later became the international bestseller *Mere Christianity.* It was an odd turn of events for a scholar who had spent many evenings reading Old Icelandic sagas with his friends at The Coalbiters.

I drive by the old RZIM headquarters at least once a week. Every time, I reactively grip my steering wheel tighter, look straight ahead, and try not to get pulled back into a dark place. But as I thought about Jesus at a charcoal fire, I realized God is inviting me to see a place of pain as the start of a good new life.

After I finished my D.Min. at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, I had to reckon with what my Major Project had concluded. After all, I'd written it. But interviewing thirty Christians who were following Jesus more faithfully than I was and studying how dozens of theologians defined discipleship had shaken me. I had to admit to myself that the way I'd been doing ministry wasn't going to help others follow Jesus. But neither did I want to pivot my entire approach to ministry. It was uncomfortable to change what I do and how I do it. I wanted to stay in my comfort zone instead of starting FriendsFollowingJesus.com and sharing my struggles with the world. But Jesus kept saying, "Follow me." So, I did.

During COVID, our church moved to live-streamed worship and Zoom calls for community groups. While I enjoyed the conversations, I sometimes felt tired and lonely after I closed my laptop. My bones felt hollow, like a bird in flight, and then I'd notice the ache in my chest. I missed hugs and handshakes. I felt bound by my conscience to stay at home and protect the vulnerable, but I knew why many of my fellow Christians couldn't help but meet in person, no matter the cost.

I recently contributed to two Meal Trains. One person had a baby, another is fighting cancer. I didn't know how to get a hot meal to either of their homes one night, so I sent gift cards. Two weeks ago, my wife broke her ankle. Multiple friends have come by with full meals. They're both valid ways to care, but nothing beats a knock on the door and a homemade pie.