It’s day four of our quick trip to New York City, and I’ve learned how to navigate the subway without needing to constantly check the monitor or my maps app.

Yay, me.

It was during our last subway ride — you know, the one with tears because we had to say our last goodbyes — that I may have witnessed the most profound lesson from the many rides during our trip.

As we settled in after the second or third stop, a man walked on the train and dropped his bag on the floor in front of me. It made quite a bang, and it caught me off guard. Before I could process what I’d heard, his booming voice interrupted my thoughts.

I don’t follow everything, but I heard something about a fire, how he’d served in the military, and how he and his 5-year-old needed help because all they had was whatever was in the bag. He wrapped it up saying he was asking for bottled water, or snacks, and before he was done, all of my children had offered one or both of those to him.

Then he made his way toward the other end of the subway car. Someone in the middle gave him some cash, and even though he kept asking for help, as he got to the other end, no one was offering any help.

He thanked the entire car, put his newly acquired possessions in his bag, and got off at the next stop.

When things were quiet again, or, at least as quiet as things can be on the subway, I started asking God why there was such a different response in the different parts of the car? His answer was short, clear, and very convicting.

It’s harder to ignore a need you’re close to.

Ouch.

How would our response to the needs of others change if we decreased the distance between us? If the person asking for help wasn’t just “somebody way over there” but was instead “the man right in front of me?”

I think it would change everything, and I believe that was one of the lessons Jesus lived out in front of us when he walked among us. Just look at how close Jesus got to the people who were hurting.

For he had healed many, so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch him. (Mark 3:10, emphasis mine)

The way Jesus lived among us caused people to constantly push forward to touch him. Another passage shows the environment in which he often moved:

Meanwhile, when a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling on one another, Jesus began to speak first to his disciples… (Luke 12:1, emphasis mine)

Jesus didn’t just attract crowds, he moved among the crowds. His life was lived in the crush of the crowd. Yes, he often withdrew to remote places (which is important if we want to have any sustainability in our public ministry), but he didn’t stay in those places. He was close to people so he could feel every single hurt, pain, and weakness that we feel. Don’t believe me? Check out Hebrews 4:15.

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. (Hebrews 4:15, emphasis mine)

Just like that father on the subway caused more response from those closest to him when he made his appeal, so, too, is our Father moved by what troubles us when we are near him.

Come near to God and he will come near to you… (James 4:8, emphasis mine)

Just imagine the grace, peace, help, and comfort that we’ll find from him when that connection takes place.

I’m sure I’ll unpack this idea in more detail in a later post, but for now, as I’m wrapping up a long day with one last ride on the subway, let me simply say that we’d be wise to look beyond the season, and look for the reason.

Culture moves in cycles, and the smart ones in culture take the time to learn about them. Neil Howe and the late William Strauss do an outstanding job highlighting how history tends to repeat itself in their classic book, The Fourth Turning. I remember reading it a few years back, and thinking about how the seasons they described from centuries ago sounded so very similar to the seasons we’re in now.

Sometimes, we’re a little too quick to think that we’re the first generation to do what we’re doing. Or maybe a little too prideful. Or just blind. But culture moves in cycles, and when we take the time to study the why, we might be better equipped to deal with the hows and whats and whos.

Culture moves in cycles, and every season is fueled by a reason. Maybe the generation before was too heavy on information, and so the next generation (or, two) relies more heavily on emotions and creativity.

Learn the cycle, understand the culture. Lean into the reason, and be better equipped to weather the season.

That’s all for now. My subway ride is over.

Not that you asked, but here are some random facts about the subway system in New York City that I looked up while, I think you can guess this, riding the subway.

There are 472 stations on 25 routes, spread along 665 miles of track. 2 billion people ride the subway every year.

TWO BILLION.

Not all of them are pictured here, but this is a pretty good representation of a subway car. So many people, each one of them with a different story. And yet, all of them have one thing in common: they’re all going somewhere looking for something, and they’ve picked a subway line that can help them get it.

It’s true in life as well. We all have different needs that we feel more strongly in certain seasons, and we all pick vehicles that we think can get us there.

What they need varies, of course. They may need a new job, or a new relationship. Maybe they need to be loved, or protected, or seen, or heard, or respected.

But here’s the deal. Not every subway line goes everywhere, and so you have to get on the right line to get to the desired destination. It’s the same in our lives.

Sure, there are many options to pick from, but at the end of the line, only one line is ultimately meeting our deepest need. Jesus said that He’s the way, the truth, and the life, and that no one comes to the Father except through Him (that’s John 14:6).

Which means any other line will miss Him.

Riding the subway is fun, but the map matters.

My prayer for the people in this picture? Get on the right car before you run out of track.