God is with us
In the gift and the muck and the mire of real life
We are called to be with others
Amid others
Beside others
By others
For others
Including others
Near others
A companion to others
Side by side with others
In the thick of others
God with us. Us, with others.
God with us in the thick of the beautiful and the messy.
In that, a weary world rejoices.
These words are from the video played at worship this past Sunday. I invite you to watch or rewatch the offering video at minute 54:20 at https://youtu.be/u9jBq3uS8pA?list=UU_jFPQxQ0fdtX1fUt_Sor2w. This video by theworkofthepeople.com resonated in my heart for many reasons but it gave me hope especially in this season of political division. God calls us to be with “others” even if they may be different from us or face challenges that we may not understand. This world can be messy, and crazy, and frightening but God is big enough to hold all of us and in turn, gives us the courage and empathy to see the others as God sees all of us.
Over the past several months we have been bombarded by every media platform about the evil others. This messaging preys on our fears of “the others”. Whichever side you are on, the others will be the downfall of our community or our country. We stubbornly cling to “our team” without challenging ourselves to show the same grace and love that Jesus has shown us. Our own need to be right is strong. But are we?
None of the problems in this country has an easy solution. Each one is complicated, and solutions can come in a myriad of forms. The truth is not always easy to find. We owe it to ourselves and neighbors to seek ways to live together in peace, hope, and love. Realizing that there can be propaganda that can cloud our judgment and we need Jesus to light the way in love.
What if we looked at the others through the lens of Jesus? He sees each of us as children of God. Created in God’s image. Yes, we may have diverse backgrounds, religions, cultures, or lifestyles, but Jesus lived the example of including and loving those that are different and on the margins. If we take the time to understand the others, I bet we would have far more in common than we think we do. What if we tuned out the noise about the others and spent time learning about each other? Always with our hearts and minds tuned to the teachings and life of Jesus.
God with us. Us, with others.
God with us in the thick of the beautiful and the messy.
In that, a weary world rejoices.
With you in Jesus,
Angie Seiller
Director of Faith Formation