From the Pulpit: We’re in this together!

In my first call to ministry, I had time enough to coach junior high football. I fondly remember young men who responded well to the usual encouragements: “Teamwork!”, “Talk to each other out there,” “We will win together and we lose together,” etc.  

The Church in various and equally simple ways says the same thing. It’s hard to not think almost immediately of Jesus’ words, “Where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them (Matthew 18:20, NIV).” The physical presence of another human being is not optional for believers. Jesus clearly tells his followers that God’s presence is dependent upon our taking the importance of being fully together with another person, seriously. Within a sanctuary or outside of it, where folks physically (fully) gather in Jesus’ name, the presence of God is guaranteed.

To hear God’s word encouraging us to join in each other’s company is to think of easy and more difficult ways in which this must be true. Again, the words of Jesus guide this devotional thought: a solid paraphrase of Luke 6 can read, “anyone can love a friend, (someone who sees things the way you see things), I tell you, you must also love your enemies.” Wouldn’t we all admit that that’s where we need some help?!!

This help we must ask for because we need to hang in there with the broader community and stay in conversation about issues that are ripping us apart. That the other person, as offensive as they are to us at any given moment, is also a child of God cannot be lost among us. Followers of Jesus are simply not allowed to huddle off to the side on their own. We are called to weigh in, stay in the fray, get dirty as we do our best to remain faithful to Christ in a contentious up world.

My prayer over this brief note is twofold: I pray that you have and perhaps do know the beauty of the physical presence of others and, I pray that you will be able to look back and someday see Divine purpose in saying to your enemy, “We’re in this together.”