Compassion is Connection

These days, with social media and technology, it’s easy to confuse number of connections with depth of relationship. We settle for social gatherings full of small talk, consistent interactions on Facebook, and quick work conversations to fill us up. But settling for these kinds of relationships over deep relationships is like eating a bag of chips when you’re hungry for a meal. The chips may curb your hunger for the moment, but you will be hungry again.  Yet, we settle for these kinds of superficial relationships over and over again and wonder why we feel so lonely. Anxiety and depression are at an all time high in teens and young adults. We have to wonder if the width of connection may be replacing depth of connection and how that replacement is affecting our mental and spiritual health. We were made for the kind of connection that the Trinity models for us. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are in perfect unity. They are committed to one another and in perfect community with one another. If we were made in the image of the Trinity, we were made to reflect this kind of beautiful community with one another. This doesn’t mean that we have to invest in every single person in our lives. Even Jesus didn’t invest in more than twelve people. He had relationships with more than twelve, but he gave himself to the twelve and heavily invested in three within that twelve. Jesus modeled for us the impact of unyielding commitment to a few friends. Jesus revealed parts of himself to these three that he didn’t to the rest, like in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-37) and on a mountaintop during his transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-2). If we want committed relationships in our lives, it starts with looking to Jesus and following his example with others in our lives. Reflection/Discussion Question: How does thinking about the community within the Trinity help you think differently about your own community?

The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are in perfect unity in their mission. They’re always at work, reconciling God’s people back to himself. As the people of God, united with the Trinity, we get to join the mission. This means that when we see injustice, we rise up to bring justice. When we see people marginalized or mistreated, we unite together to do all that we can to bring hope and healing. We won’t stand to see people hurting and broken because we know that we can bring them exactly what they need by the power of the Holy Spirit working through us. At our unified table, we have access to accountability and help. We have people who will point us back to Jesus when we stray away and we have help when we fall down. We go to battle with and for one another in prayer. We engage in the spiritual battle as a united army fighting for the winning side.  At the table of God, everyone is needed, everyone belongs, everyone matters, and it’s all about Jesus. We aren’t united for the sake of being united, we are united to do the work of God here on earth. As a united front, we bring love, hope, healing, restoration, redemption, forgiveness, reconciliation, and freedom. We cannot stand by in indifference and watch God’s creation suffer. We use our gifts and the ways God has wired us differently and meet each broken person with exactly what they need. This is what we were made to do. This is who we were made to be. Jesus prayed for complete unity so that the world would see the real Jesus through the way that we live. Instead of living a “just me and Jesus life” we are called to live so intertwined with one another that it’s hard to tell where one of us ends and the other begins. We were made for more than the life we are settling for and the world is suffering because of it. What will you do to fight for unity? Reflection/Discussion Question: What will you do to fight for the kind of unity we were made for?

My son is suffering emotionally, mentally and physically. The emotional and mental issues he’s informed me have been going on since middle school. The physical part has been going on several months now; with blood work, MRI’s, muscle and nerve test and still no answers. He has said he would rather be dead than not know with the mental challenges he’s dealing with. Anxiety. Panic attacks and stress. Missing weeks of work and some days he has to leave. His employer has been very gracious, definitely a gift from God. Our relationship has totally changed. I was able to baptize him two weeks ago and my daughter was baptized at the same time by her husband. A beautiful gift; God is answering prayers. I have been able to come and stay with him several days a week. Cook. Clean. Do his laundry. We Have had great conversations. We have watched many sermons together and we are attending worship as a family. I live two hours away so Being able to come and stay with him has been the and. I’m so Thankful my Father makes a way and provides. Father may your will be done.

My neighbor was having a hard time adjusting to health issues with her father. I told her that I loved her and wanted to make her family homemade chicken noodle soup.