From: Laura McGibbins larura_mcgibbins_@yahoo.com
To: Phil Price
Date: Oct 1, 2015, 5:23 PM
Subject: RE: Guru needed!
Hey Phil,
Long time no talkie! Can you believe it’s been 6 months since graduation? I’d love to say the time has flown because I’ve been so busy saving the world, but honestly it’s dragged. Turns out, my life post-uni is about 90% Frosties and Netflix, and 10% spectacularly failed job interviews. You’re catching me at my peak glamour.
I say all this not to get sympathy, but to give you a realistic picture of the so-called ‘guru’ you just appointed. Spiritual guide? I can’t even guide myself to wear real trousers.
All that said, the only thing I’ve got scheduled today is watching FRIENDS Season 5 for the third time this month, so I reckon I can spare some time for your questions about faith (and maybe even give you a vaguely helpful answer)
Joking aside—I was honestly so touched by your email. I’ve been praying for you since second year, that you’d want to explore Jesus more. So hearing that something in how I lived made you curious about faith? That made me cry into my cereal (and not just because I’d run out of milk). Your church sounds brilliant, and your pastor’s advice to find a Christian you trust to talk things through with? Gold dust. Although, to be fair, he might have picked someone else if he’d seen my job application spreadsheet. 😅
So, your question: what’s the most important thing you need to know? Hoo boy. So many places I could go with this. But let me quote Jesus (always a safe bet). In Luke 10, he says to his stressed-out friend Martha:
“Martha, dear Martha, you’re fussing far too much and getting yourself worked up over nothing. One thing only is essential, and Mary has chosen it.”
Mary’s sitting listening to Jesus while Martha’s in the kitchen losing her mind over canapés. And Jesus gently points out that knowing and being with Him is more important than doing all the “stuff.”
Honestly, we Christians are SO good at getting distracted. Remember CU committee and the Great Milk Debate of 2013? 🥴 It’s easy to get tangled up in theology, politics, worship style, or the colour of the tea towels. But at the heart of Christianity is a relationship—not a rulebook or a doctrine chart.
God loves us. He really, really does. So much so that He sent His Son to die, just to bring us back to Him. That’s the centre of it all. If I were starting again, I wouldn’t dive into deep questions or Bible commentaries. I’d begin with stillness. Just sit in the truth that I am loved and wanted by God. That’s the foundation.
So that’s your first guru lesson (lol): don’t do anything just yet. Just rest in the fact that you are loved. We’ll get to the doing bit later.
Alright—enough wisdom for one day. Five more seasons of FRIENDS are calling. Let me know how it all lands.
Hugs, kisses and kittens,
Laura
xxxxyz
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