ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHING
February 16, 2022
I receive a daily email from Sojourners Magazine, and in yesterday’s email was a quote from Amanda Gorman, from her poem: “The Miracle of Morning.” In it, she writes:
The question isn’t if we can weather this unknown,
But how we will weather this unknown together.
Have you ever needed a message that sort of appeared at the right moment? As human beings, we need regular reminders about the importance and responsibility of life together. In Galatians 6, Paul reminded his readers to “Bear one another’s burdens,” even suggesting it was the law of Christ. This comes amidst a discussion correcting people’s behavior, while also reminding folks not to get all haughty. There are times when we convince ourselves it is easier to do this life-thing alone, or at least in a spirit of independence. Yet unless you’re living in a cave a hundred miles away from anyone, it is nearly impossible to live with any sort of true independence. We are more dependent upon each other than we’d like to admit. The question that comes to my mind is: Are we going to emerge from the pandemic celebrating all we learned from life together or will we need to confess our failures, seeking repentance from ego-centered living?
Give me the grace needed, O God, to push aside my ego and to live peacefully and generously with my sisters and brothers. My gifts are given from you, but these gifts were never intended to bring blessing only to me. May they work alongside the gifts of others to give witness to your loving kindness. Amen.
