Observation: One of the most important themes in Life Together shows up only a few pages into chapter one. Christian community only happens through and in Christ. A shorthand for this concept is "mediated relationships." In any relationship between Christians, or between a Christian and others, Christ is the "mediator," the one connecting us. "In him all things hold together" (Colossians 1:17). Human love and community on its own, for its own sake, quickly becomes possessive and self-serving. Through Christ, we can connect with one another as God intends.
Application: This hits home hard for me today. The irony is, at least for me, it's easiest to be aware of Christ as mediator in my relationships--as the one who connects me and my family, me and my church, me and my friends and neighbors--when the stress level is low. In a vacation, party, or retreat setting, where spending time together is the whole point, you can see Jesus everywhere. But on a day like today, which feels like one last all-out sprint through an obstacle course to the end of another VERY eventful school year, when I'm an hour late in blogging because I made (hopefully) one last unscheduled trip to my daughter's school, Jesus is still there, but he's harder to see. When I really need him to keep me connected to God, to my family, and to the world, he often does so unnoticed and without any gratitude on my part. Yet he still does it for free. I saw a church sign on my little detour that said, "The price of God's grace has not changed. It's still free." The same is true of Christian community. Thanks be to God.
Prayer: Jesus, thanks for keeping me connected to others. Forgive me for taking your work for granted. Amen.
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