As members of the body of Christ, we are all brothers and sisters. Jesus confirms this with the words, “Anyone who obeys God is my brother or sister or mother”. And the author of Hebrews further clarifies our relationship to God and each other, “For the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father. For this reason, Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters, saying, I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters…Here am I and the children whom God has given me.” And as part of God’s family, as brothers and sisters, we have been “chosen to live together in peace”. “Love each other as brothers and sisters and honor others more than you do yourself.” Peace? Unity? Honor? Wait, what has gone wrong in God’s chosen family? Why are we seeing less and less of these qualities in the body of Christ? Sibling rivalry, jealousy (or judgment) of the gifts others have, strong opinions, fights over personal wants, selfishness, rebelliousness? What is experienced in biological families, so in the church. In most human families, differences are usually resolved because you can’t change families, you are stuck with the one you were born into. Unfortunately, in the church today, siblings are refusing to do the hard work of listening, reconciling, loving, forgiving and instead are moving on to their next family. Tragic. God weeps
Then, there is the “friend who sticketh closer than a brother (or sister)”. Devi is that friend. We met at a church meeting over 25 years ago, she recovering from a serious breakdown and I a recent transplant to her town. I don’t remember our first meeting, or even why we decided to meet (obviously a God thing), but we have been meeting and praying together ever since. Ours is a totally transparent, vulnerable relationship, rare in today’s world, especially since we didn’t meet until our 40s. Devi knows more about me than anyone else, including my husband, and we have prayed together faithfully over the years. We’ve seen many answers to our prayers, and we continue to be like the persistent widow pestering the judge with answers yet to be realized. I am truly blessed with a rare gift.
Judy, Shelley, Debbie, and Kristina, BFFs in the literal sense of the word. Shared experiences, longevity of friendships, and shared values are the glue that has held us together since meeting in elementary school. Junior high and high school classes, carpooling, mutual friends, adolescent angsts, a short-lived stint in Girls Scouts, high school sports every weekend- friendships that made the teenage years more bearable. College together at our local university introduced us to Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, where we studied the Bible together, grew in our faith, and partied, played and shared our lives with new friends. Then off to separate parts of the US and the world, still connected by letter and phone, then email, now tweets. We meet annually for a BFF weekend every summer at Kris’s cottage, away from the rest of the world, where we pick up where we left off the last time we were together. Friendships that have withstood the test of time.
We are related to the rest of the world through our membership in the human family; we are all brothers and sisters. Love your neighbor, love your enemies doesn’t just refer to actions toward our Christian brothers and sisters (reference the good Samaritan); nor does the charge to act justly and to love mercy. Feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, providing water to the thirsty, inviting the stranger in, and meeting the needs of the poor is a universal responsibility. We are connected to the suffering people throughout the world: the war in Ukraine, famine in Africa, violence in our cities, exploitation and trafficking, poverty and disease, drug addiction, mental health issues. What is our response to these suffering sisters and brothers? Thoughts and Prayers? No, that's an easy non-answer. We are warned that “faith without works is dead”. Therefore, I must consider how and where am I working?
— cmshingle
Then, there is the “friend who sticketh closer than a brother (or sister)”. Devi is that friend. We met at a church meeting over 25 years ago, she recovering from a serious breakdown and I a recent transplant to her town. I don’t remember our first meeting, or even why we decided to meet (obviously a God thing), but we have been meeting and praying together ever since. Ours is a totally transparent, vulnerable relationship, rare in today’s world, especially since we didn’t meet until our 40s. Devi knows more about me than anyone else, including my husband, and we have prayed together faithfully over the years. We’ve seen many answers to our prayers, and we continue to be like the persistent widow pestering the judge with answers yet to be realized. I am truly blessed with a rare gift.
Judy, Shelley, Debbie, and Kristina, BFFs in the literal sense of the word. Shared experiences, longevity of friendships, and shared values are the glue that has held us together since meeting in elementary school. Junior high and high school classes, carpooling, mutual friends, adolescent angsts, a short-lived stint in Girls Scouts, high school sports every weekend- friendships that made the teenage years more bearable. College together at our local university introduced us to Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, where we studied the Bible together, grew in our faith, and partied, played and shared our lives with new friends. Then off to separate parts of the US and the world, still connected by letter and phone, then email, now tweets. We meet annually for a BFF weekend every summer at Kris’s cottage, away from the rest of the world, where we pick up where we left off the last time we were together. Friendships that have withstood the test of time.
We are related to the rest of the world through our membership in the human family; we are all brothers and sisters. Love your neighbor, love your enemies doesn’t just refer to actions toward our Christian brothers and sisters (reference the good Samaritan); nor does the charge to act justly and to love mercy. Feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, providing water to the thirsty, inviting the stranger in, and meeting the needs of the poor is a universal responsibility. We are connected to the suffering people throughout the world: the war in Ukraine, famine in Africa, violence in our cities, exploitation and trafficking, poverty and disease, drug addiction, mental health issues. What is our response to these suffering sisters and brothers? Thoughts and Prayers? No, that's an easy non-answer. We are warned that “faith without works is dead”. Therefore, I must consider how and where am I working?
— cmshingle
How wonderful to read about your close friends! I have also reconnected with a close friend of the past, and now we are in a church book group together! Your words about the human family--all of us brothers and sisters--are comforting and inspiring. Working on this...!
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