Suggested Reading: Acts 4:32-35
Just as it was with the first
Christian Communities we all must be of one mind and one spirit. Everyone needs
to be welcomed and loved through our actions and our words. To be Christian means to live our lives
according to Christ and this must be taken seriously. No, we are not perfect.
Yes, we are sinners, but that does not excuse ourselves from opening our minds,
hearts, and spirit to Jesus Christ. Together we all can become exemplars of the
faith; overcoming any obstacle that we are confronted with through prayer,
devotion, and love.
Working together without
judgment creates the necessary support unit to overcome the influences of Satan
and a society that offers too many pathways to sin and destruction. When
someone finds themselves in crisis he or she can find the necessary help and
love to subvert a moment of weakness to continue forward in their journey of
faith. Through a community of believers Christianity becomes a lifestyle
instead of a destination one only goes to on a given Sunday. Successes are
celebrated while failures are corrected through prayer and hard work. There is
no judgment; only assistance and love.
Our faith must become the
pinnacle of our existence and needs to influence everything in this life of
ours if we are to be truly known as Christian. There can be no limits to our
faith set by judging other people or choosing when to help or love someone in
need. We must be open and accepting just as Jesus Christ who made it a point to
say, “For I did not come to call the righteous but sinners…” We come to him as
sinners; each and every one of us. There is no one who is truly righteous. That
was the point Jesus was making. Those who think they are righteous are truly
blind. Gathering in a community of sinners with each person trying to lift the
other one up offers all an opportunity at a better life through Jesus Christ
and a better way to live by acting out the Living word of God. To fulfill our
duty as Christians we must participate in our community and serve our community
as well as be served. It is when we give everything in the name of Our Lord
Jesus Christ and share in the experience of being unburdened by materialism and
the dictates of society that the full revelation of Jesus Christ can be
experienced. Living and growing with Jesus is how God wanted us to participate
in this gift of life of ours.
We learn of Thomas’
revelation in the Gospel Reading today. Even though his faith was tested by the
news of Jesus’ Resurrection, he was the first disciple to recognize Jesus for
who he was as he exclaimed, “My Lord my God!” It should be comforting to us all
that Thomas, a following of Jesus and one who witnessed most of Jesus’ miracles
and teachings can easily lose faith yet gain it once again and be the first to
testify to the divinity of Jesus. We all should be able to relate to this
through our own life experiences. I feel that we can all talk about times when
we have turned away from God
then returned to him broken,
bewildered, yet overcome with emotion at the opportunity of redemption.
It is our duty to take these
experiences and the wisdom gained from our journey and share them with others within
our community. Nothing should remain private. Christianity is not only a
personal experience but a community one. It is through the community that we
can then build up the Kingdom of God one person at a time.
Deacon Tom
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