Being community means watching out for one another.
Our readings this week challenge us to think about what it
means to be community, what it means to be church. The prophet Ezekiel has an unenviable
job: no one likes to listen to the woes
he foretells. But as watchman for the house of Israel, Ezekiel
is also called to be on the lookout – not for enemies (they are already in
exile!), but for any evil that might further threaten their covenant with God,
for any wrong choices that might affect God’s relationship with the people of
Israel. Ezekiel might have appreciated
the message of Psalm 95: If today you hear his voice, harden not your
hearts. In other words, stay open to
God: listen for him to speak to you; be
reliant on him; trust in God as your focal point. Ezekiel has done this: his heart is open, else he could not be God’s
mouthpiece, and he is an able watchman, caring and concerned for others. But that responsibility also lies with the
people of Israel… as it lies with us.
Jesus’s message to his disciples in Matthew’s gospel goes
still deeper. When there is conflict
between you and your brother, he tells them, the key is to work to restore
connection, to open the doors that are shut, because whatever affects two
affects the whole community. As
Christians, we have an identity in the body; the Body of Christ consists of all
those who come together for Eucharist, gathered
in His name. We are all watchmen; each of us is responsible
for holding the community together, for paying attention to the relationships
that make us church. Moreover, as Paul
reminds the Romans, God – the God that is love
– is the binding force of that community; we are to love one another. In order
to keep a watch out for each other, we have to start there: with love and concern for our neighbors. It means stepping beyond our selves, accepting
others as they are, without having to change them. If we love others as fully as we possibly
can, if we love as Jesus did, taking humanity to the cross and dying for us,
then that love will be transformative, and we will truly be community, truly be church.
This post is based on Fr. Pat's Scripture class.
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