| I'm tagging on the material that directly followed yesterday's piece from Moltmann. 'Fellowship' doesn't take by force and possess. It liberates. We offer a share in our own life, and share the life of another person. Fellowship lives in reciprocal participation and mutual acceptance. Fellowship springs up when people who are different find something in common, and when something in common is shared by different people. There are fellowships of shared objective concerns: interest groups, working parties and study groups. There are fellowships in a mutual relationship: felllowships constituted by a shared life. In most human fellowships objective and personal relationship are linked. there is a fellowship between people who are alike: 'bird of a feather flock together.' But there are also fellowships between people who are quite unlike. The people who are unlike find interest in each other, whereas people who are no different from each other soon become indifferent to each other. The differences do not have to be that great in order for the differences between us to give us a bit of a relational jolt. Even the closest relationship - where there is much in common - often have enough edges to them to keep us refreshing to one another. No matter how similar we are or how different we may be, there is still a bit of risk involved in connecting with others. We can never know when we may get burned or we might be the one who sets the fires. This Spirit of Life is present to see us through all that will come when we go out there and engage the other - no matter how different the other may be. In the meantime, we pray for the fellowship of the Holy Spirit to recreate us and open us to life we do not presently hold in our hands. Connection: How much do you risk when it comes to fellowship? Lord of Life and Spirit of Joy, take us on another ride today to a place we do not control so that we may see a bit more of your Reign and begin to be reshaped in your presence. Amen. |
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