God made us for relationship, that's for sure. But being in relationship is sometimes quite a challenge; that's for sure too!
You are here now because of your relationship with God. May these moments together with your Creator give you a greater understanding of how to live out your earthly relationships as well.
My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and is brought back by another, you should know that whoever brings back a sinner from wandering will save the sinner’s soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
James 5:19-20
Throughout the Gospels, Jesus is compared to a “Good Shepherd.” In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus asks, “Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it?” The one sheep that strayed is no less important than the others who stayed within the flock. The shepherd always will go to find the lost and bring them back into the group.
As Christ said, we should be willing to guide our stray loved ones back to our community. True community is being able to forgive. True community is allowing everyone back in no matter where they have wandered off. True community is carrying another’s burdens, because at some point you will also need yours carried.
Sarah Briggs
God, today help me to forgive. Help me to guide others into true community. Help me not to stray, myself. Amen.
Children of God, lift hearts to one another;
Where pity dwells, the peace of God is there;
To worship rightly is to love each other,
Each smile a hymn, each kindly deed a prayer.
Adapted from an 1850 hymn by John Greenleaf Whittier