Last week the Denver metro
area was hit with a snowstorm that dumped over eight inches of snow in some
places. A few days after the storm we visited my daughter and when I took her
dog for a walk I was surprised that so many homeowners either didn’t shovel
their walks, or simply made a narrow swipe through the snow. In and out of shaded
areas the walks were treacherous and I found myself praying with every step as
I went from snow pack, to sheets of ice, to gullies of slush. Spiritually speaking I’m now wondering if there
are times when I’ve not maintained the sidewalks in and around my life leaving obstacles
for others to traverse. The writer of Hebrews said, “Make level paths for your
feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed” (Heb 2:13 NIV).
1 comment:
Gail;
-----What a significant insight! The Greek word for “fellowship” has a participation type nuance about its meaning, like, it isn’t just about hanging around with each other, enjoying company, chuckling, and stuff. It isn’t about just talking to each other and learning from each other. And I used to emphasize this additional nuance about its being, maybe more importantly, helping to carry each other’s burdens.
-----Now you’ve shown me a nuance of fellowship I hadn’t put together before. I’ve always loved the concept of consideration for others. And although I’m never a really good performer, I do practice it as much as I can. But consideration has always been to me kind of a passive thing -something I note when someone is nearby to consider. We call it crossing paths, and I try not to leave rubble in the paths I see I’m crossing.
-----But your insight never struck me. Just because someone else is not nearby on their path which intersects, or maybe even conjoins mine, doesn’t mean there’s no intersection there and that somebody won’t be passing along soon. It takes active observation to recognize crossing paths without that other “walker” being nearby.
-----Now that you’ve created this tidy concept for containing an important meaning of “fellowship”, I recognize some behaviors which fit within it. Here’s an example from something which has always peeved me. The gay activist has for decades been crying about what they do in their own bedrooms being no one else’s business. And this would be true if the colors of their bedrooms were not inseparable aspects of their public lives. You can generally tell who has that special kind of relationship with whom, at least when they are together. Children are even better at noticing such nuances, who are the ones moms and dads are intent to train up in the way they should go. This causes no small amount of difficult and tricky questions to answer just because someone else is leaving clutter in the intersection so they can have their own way.
-----I’m going to ponder your insight for a while, hopefully long enough that I can distinguish what sidewalks around my life need shoveling.
Love you all,
Steve Corey
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