Giving and receiving nourishment as a community, regardless of a blood connection, is a core Christian practice. Christ gathered with his friends at a meal, teaching them how to remember him and how to pray. Early followers of Jesus gathered at tables for meals and worship, and their offerings were directly redistributed to those in need. In this way, those early Christians became the body of Christ, broken and distributed in the world.
God is with us through the love and care of others. The arrival of Jesus into our world was called the incarnation, God with us, but it didn’t stop when Jesus returned to heaven. The incarnate love of God remains through the power of the Holy Spirit. God is always near.
In Scripture, angels often bring the good news of God’s love and God’s nearness. In fact, you are such a messenger. You are the physical, tangible presence of Christ in this world. You nourish, comfort, wipe away tears and sometimes ship really important cargo. And someone else serves as God’s messenger for you. We do it together.
This message is excerpted from “We do it together.” by Lisa A. Smith in the April 2021 Gather magazine.
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