Reading
For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters, only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become enslaved to one another. For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” If, however, you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.
Galatians 5:13-15
Reflection
God often invites us to be the church in ways we never would have expected. On Thursday, Bishop Laura Merrill shared one such story from CBS’s Steve Hartman about a group of men from one neighborhood who found a calling by helping a neighbor with Multiple Sclerosis. The woman lived alone, but as her M.S. progressed, she was unable to get into bed by herself. Her children lived in the area, and they would help her get ready in the mornings, but coming over morning and night was more than they could do.
It looked like she would be forced to move to a nursing home until her neighbors stepped in. Men from the neighborhood got together and agreed that each night, two of them would go to her house, get her bed ready, and help lift her into bed. As the neighborhood banded together, the number of volunteers grew to more than 60—their problem was actually finding an open date for everyone who wanted to help.
At a time when many people barely know their neighbors’ names, this is a remarkable story of neighborly care, and it demonstrates for us the kind of community the Holy Spirit invites us into. It also demonstrates the challenge of this kind of community—it can get tricky. Yes, helping a neighbor into bed has the potential for awkwardness and challenge—and it’s certainly not a task to do alone! I found it noteworthy that they were practicing ministry in two’s, following Jesus’ teaching.
One man confessed on camera that when he began to help, he badly wanted to say no, but he was afraid of looking bad. The experience of helping his neighbor has been transforming for him. When we step into community, we often have the opportunity to work through our resistance to service and love. The man had previously thought himself a caring Christian, but he was forced to deal with his resistance to helping his neighbor, and the Spirit helped him to grow through the experience.
How is God calling you into community? It might be as simple as helping a neighbor with a task. It might also be as complicated as organizing neighbors to help another neighbor staying in their home—or as hard as visiting them when they can no longer live alone. We find ourselves in different places, and we have different gifts, and yet the Spirit invites each of us into loving service in the world to bless our neighbors in all kinds of unexpected ways.
Prayer
Holy Spirit,
You gave birth to your church,
And you invite us to become
God’s family,
Complete with new sisters and brothers.
Often, though, we resist,
Preferring to go our own way
And avoiding the cost of community.
Give us the courage and discipline
To step into community
With your church,
To share our gifts
And receive the gifts of others,
For the building up of your church
And the good of all your children.
Amen.
