Close Enough to See, Far Enough to Avoid
Priceless Lessons from Dr. Richard Price
When Your Heart Shrinks: Finding Fellowship in Brokenheartedness
Have you ever sat in a room full of people and felt utterly alone? Not physically distant, but emotionally unreachable—close enough to see the joy, to hear the laughter, to observe the connections, yet somehow standing on the outside looking in?
That's not isolation by geography. That's isolation by choice—a protective distance we create when life has wounded us too deeply. And if we're honest, many of us have lived on that hill overlooking Whoville, watching the lights twinkle below while our hearts remain two sizes too small.
Dr. Richard Price's recent message at Schrader Lane Church of Christ brings this reality into sharp focus through an unlikely theological teacher: the Grinch. But this isn't just a Christmas story—it's a portrait of what Scripture calls brokenheartedness, and it's a condition that affects more believers than we'd care to admit.
The Biblical Reality of Broken Hearts
The foundation of this message rests on Psalm 34:18: "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted. He rescues those whose spirits are crushed." Notice what the psalmist doesn't say. He doesn't say the brokenhearted are far from God. He doesn't describe them as spiritually weak or faithless.
Instead, Scripture acknowledges a profound truth: hearts break not because we stop believing, but because we're wounded by life. Loss comes. Disappointment arrives uninvited. Prayers seem unanswered. Relationships fracture. Jobs vanish. Health fails. And in the weight of it all, something inside us begins to change.
The genius of using the Grinch as a theological type is in recognizing his posture. He doesn't flee to another country. He positions himself on a mountain above Whoville—close enough to see joy, but far enough to avoid trusting it.
This is the danger we must confront: brokenheartedness doesn't always keep people away from worship. Sometimes it brings them into the building while keeping them from the body. They're present but not participating. Attending but not connecting. Singing but not feeling.
When Souls Shrink: The Anatomy of Reduced Capacity
Dr. Price introduces a powerful concept: the shrinking soul. When a heart stays broken long enough, it adapts. It doesn't necessarily grow bitter—sometimes it just grows smaller.
Proverbs 18:14 captures this perfectly: "The human spirit can endure its sickness, but a crushed spirit—who can bear it?"
What does a shrinking soul look like in practice?
- Still believes, but expects less – Faith remains, but hope diminishes
- Still prays, but prays slightly – Conversations with God become cautious, holding back vulnerability
- Still serves, but avoids vulnerability – Ministry continues, but authentic connection is avoided
- Learns to survive without hoping too much – Protection becomes the priority over possibility
The Grinch's heart being "two sizes too small" isn't a moral failure—it's learned caution. When joy feels unsafe, when expectation feels dangerous, the soul contracts to a size it deems survivable.
Many faithful believers today are not far from God. They're simply living with less inner capacity than God intended. And tragically, they may not even realize it's happened.
The Limits of Substitute Companionship
Enter Max the dog—the Grinch's only companion. Max is loyal. Max is present. Max is available. And that's precisely why Max works for a shrinking soul.
Here's what makes substitute companionship so appealing yet so insufficient:
- Max requires no vulnerability
- Max asks no hard questions
- Max demands no transformation
- Max will never challenge comfortable isolation
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 reminds us: "Two are better than one, but woe to him who is alone when he falls." Max can sit beside the Grinch, but he cannot help him carry what's heavy.
This is the sobering reality of modern isolation. We can fill our lives with activities, social media connections, surface-level relationships, even pets—all of which provide comfort. But comfort without healing is not the same as restoration.
We need the family of God. We need brothers and sisters who know how to use God's Word in love, who will not let us wallow in isolation, who will ask the hard questions and walk with us through the answers.
The Power of Discerning Fellowship
Not every personality fits every wound. When the Grinch ventures into Whoville, many well-meaning residents try to interact with him—but they only aggravate him further. Good intentions don't always equal good fit.
This teaches us something essential about the body of Christ: the church is not a one-size-fits-all solution. As 1 Corinthians 12 reminds us, we are a body with many members, and that diversity is designed, not dysfunctional.
Cindy Lou Who succeeds where others fail because her posture fits the moment. She doesn't judge. She doesn't size him up. She doesn't try to fix him. She simply invites him to fellowship without agenda.
This is what we should pray for: not that God makes us do everything, but that God sends the right person with the right gift at the right time. Perhaps it's not the preacher you need—maybe it's someone gifted in banking, or hospitality, or simply the ministry of presence.
James 5:16 provides the blueprint: "Confess your faults one to another and pray one for another that you may be healed." Notice the progression—confession leads to prayer, prayer leads to healing. But it all begins with authentic connection.
The Double-Reduced Heartbreak
When the Grinch steps into fellowship with Cindy Lou's family, he experiences a moment of painful self-discovery. He realizes he's suffered a double-reduced heartbreak:
- First heartbreak: The original injury from life—whatever wounds shaped his isolation
- Second heartbreak: The self-imposed isolation that followed—the years spent on the mountain by choice
How many of us carry both wounds? The original pain that broke us, and then the years of protective distance that prevented healing? We've been hurt, yes—but we've also added injury through isolation.
The miracle isn't that the Grinch returns the toys. The miracle is that the community realizes they were missing him. And when he steps into that non-judgmental space of acceptance, his heart receives permission to grow back to capacity.
Living This Out: From Shrinking to Restored Capacity
2 Corinthians 1:3-4 frames our purpose: "He comforts us so that we can comfort others." This is the theology of purposeful pain. You were not hurt just to survive. You were hurt to help.
Your brokenness has equipped you to reach someone, somewhere, who is sitting on their own mountain, watching the lights of fellowship from a safe distance. Your restored capacity becomes their invitation.
Here's What This Means Practically:
- Identify your "Max" – What substitute companionship are you accepting that comforts but doesn't heal?
- Pursue authentic connection – Find someone in the body of Christ you can be honest with about where you really are
- Accept that healing takes time – Scripture teaches that healing is never rushed; it always has a story
- Stop masking brokenness with religious activity – God doesn't want your routine; He wants your heart
- Remember you're not hurt just to survive – Your pain has purpose in helping others
The goal isn't to fake joy. The goal isn't to suppress tears. The goal isn't to act like everything is fine when your heart is crushed. The goal is to refuse isolation while you heal.
The church may not be able to fix your problem. The elders cannot fix you. The deacons cannot fix you. But here's the question that matters: Would you like to have the family of God surrounding you while you go through it?
Because there's a massive difference between suffering alone and suffering surrounded by people who love the Lord and love you. There's healing power in crying with brothers and sisters who understand. There's strength in standing together, even when you're broken, singing the Psalms of Zion with those who really know what it means to trust God through pain.
Your Invitation to the Table
No one should leave the gathering of believers isolated, masked with a shrinking soul and a broken heart. Hebrews 10:24-25 isn't just about attendance—it's about "thinking of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works" and "not neglecting our meeting together... but encouraging one another."
This is invitational fellowship. This is discerning community. This is where God restores capacity.
🎧 Listen / Watch / Learn More
Want to dive deeper into this message?
Listen to Dr. Richard Price's complete sermon "Close Enough to See, Far Enough to Avoid" at Schrader Lane Church of Christ. You can also explore related interactive study materials and resources at BarrysBureau.org
Reflection Question:
Where has your soul shrunk? What would it look like to give your heart permission to grow back to full capacity through authentic fellowship with God's people?
Barry's Bureau | Inspired by Dr. Richard Price's sermon at Schrader Lane Church of Christ
www.BarrysBureau.org
Close Enough to See, Far Enough to Avoid
Test your understanding of Dr. Price's message on brokenheartedness and fellowship
"You can go to church by command of attendance and still be brokenhearted. You can show up faithfully and still be going through the motions. Brokenheartedness does not always keep people away from worship—sometimes it brings them in the building but it keeps them from the body."
— Dr. Richard Price
Question 1 of 7