Scripture: Hebrews 12:1-3
Journal: Does let us define your typical mode of operation, or let me? What are concrete ways you can move toward an
us mindset? Have a conversation
with your nearest and dearest friends about what this could look like.
Reflection:
“Let us throw off everything that
hinders and the sin that so easily entangles and let us run with
perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author
and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross,
scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
(Hebrews 12:1-2)
Let us. Did you get that? It’s not let me, or let you, or
let him, or let her, but let us. Such a small, subtle change, but an
incredibly powerful one. I mean, with
one tiny little phrase there comes a complete change in perspective. With two little words we are able to make a
major paradigm shift. A shift from “I
am all on my own” to “We are in this together.” Let us takes us from isolation to
community, from loneliness to togetherness, and from scarcity to
abundance. Maybe that’s why the author
of Hebrews uses the phrase so often, he realizes that the power of us is
way stronger than the power of just you or just me.
“Let us run together,
with perseverance, the race marked out for us,” is a whole lot different
than “Let me run by myself, with as much perseverance as I can muster on
my own, the race marked out for me.”
There is strength in numbers. That’s probably why Ecclesiastes reminds us
that “Two are better than one because if one falls there is someone there to
help him up. But pity the man who falls
alone.” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10) There is just something about the throwing off
of everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles that was
always meant to be done in the context of community. I mean, we can continue try on our own if we
want to, but we will always end up right back in the same old place. It’s like trying to pull yourself up from the
bottom of a hundred-foot well.
There is just something beautiful
and life-giving about living life in community.
There is something good and right about doing whatever we do with the great
cloud of witnesses, not to mention our closest friends and fellow pilgrims. It is easier to actually run the race with
perseverance when you have your nearest and dearest running right beside you; at
times your faith will sustain them and at times their faith will sustain
you. Four (or more) eyes fixed
on Jesus are far more attentive and accurate than two.
So let us begin to
ask ourselves what running the race together—as opposed to alone—is supposed to
look like. Let us dream a little
and talk a little and make some commitments to each other. And then let us start to actually do
it. At every given opportunity, let
us choose communion over isolation. I
think you will find that you are able to journey together to places in life and
faith where you could never journey alone.
Prayer
Closing
Prayer: Give us the strength and the courage, O God, to live in community the
way you made us to live in community. Let
us be a living example of the life and love of the Trinity. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment