I write a weekly newsletter for church and the feature article is an
interview of someone in the congregation. A recent story was about a young
woman who escaped an abusive relationship and later married a nice young man.
Tragically the young woman was widowed eight years later and left to raise her
daughter as a single parent. The mother of the young woman was surprised that
her daughter would even consider doing an interview, much less be so open.
After reading the article the mother said, “She
has told you things that I’ve never known…things she’s never shared with me.”
Because the young woman took a chance and gave us a glimpse into her life, we
have a better understanding of what she may need from the church family. “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way
you will fulfill the law of Christ.” (Gal 6:2 NIV)
1 comment:
Gail;
-----Physical burdens are food, shelter, clothing, health care, transportation, jobs, and careers. These are effected by the psychological burdens of intelligence and emotional relevance. Underlying them all like a roadmap to either the desert or the oasis are the spiritual burdens of attentiveness and obedience to the Word, acknowledgement of and involvement in others, and self-control, faithful confidence, and humility of the self. If this whole package of life can be dissected for attention to only a part of it, then it is like the great Keebler chocolate-chip coconut cookie. It can be busted apart, and enough of the chocolate chips can be scraped out to enjoy separately. But any enjoyment of the rest of the cookie will only be had with coconut intact and traces of chocolate remaining. This dissecting of the cookie seems to be the way we like to do fellowship in the body. Would that we enjoy the cookies whole.
-----For a variety of reasons we avoid unfettered engagement of each other intellectually and emotionally in spite of encouragements to, “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep,” (Rom 12:15), “...teach and admonish one another in all wisdom,” (Col 3:16), and, “... speaking the truth in love...grow up in every way into Him who is the head, into Christ.” (Eph 4:15). Maybe it is easier to attend mostly the chocolate of the physical burdens because these are most seen. And there are several proper reasons for maintaining some intellectual aloofness so the pure doctrine as taught in the Word might develop mutually in the body regardless of the many conflicting particulars held about it by individuals. But there are as few proper reasons to fail at sympathy and empathy as there are many good reasons to carefully engage one another intellectually. Aloofness in the Lord is not healthy.
-----Spiritual engagement can only be had by attending the whole cookie, for the Spirit is truth and that the cookie is a whole is true. Moreover, that the bag of cookies is a whole is also true, therefore, neither can we spirituality attend one cookie and ignore another. I encounter a gag reflex whenever I hear, “...you have abandoned the love you had at first...repent and do the works you did at first,” (Rev 2:4-5) construed to be addressing some exhilarated emotional state of the new believer. For sure, let’s not deny that meaning. But let’s also examine historical context for the rest of the meaning. The individual in the early church was the point and reason for love actualized. All of his physical, mental, and spiritual aspects were attended. He was mutually shaped by genuine love seeking one another’s interests in not only resolving problems, but also in edifying through pleasing one another, hating what is evil, and holding fast to what is good. It is this shape that fits individual stones into a holy temple for His dwelling.
-----I think your service of introducing a whole cookie at a time to the entire bag of cookies is more than admirable. I think it is catalytic to the process of what makes a temple from individual stones. God bless you and your work.
Love you all,
Steve Corey
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