Spinning a Web
For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. Romans 12:4-5
Insight
The main draw of our move to Carolina Beach eight years ago was warmth and beach. Coming from the mountains in the Northeast and weathering a fairly serious illness, I was ready to trade my snow shovel for a sand chair, my parka for shorts, and flip flops. The unexpected blessing was discovering Carolina Beach State Park. Our family enjoys experiencing the natural world, so we love exploring the miles of trails in the woods and along the Cape Fear River. We picnic, climb trees and always grab that selfie for the family files. Though more flat than not, it's oft reminiscent of all the hikes we took up north when our young kids were getting their feet underneath them. This past holiday weekend, we enjoyed a 5+ mile trip with our now grown children along one of our favorite paths, the Live Oak Trail. At one point, we stopped to watch in wonder when a rather large spider spun a web around an unfortunate bug that took a wrong turn and became dinner. The web connected to two beautiful oaks, the oaks part of a more extensive forest, growing up from a forest floor of smaller leaves, plants & soil. So beautiful. So miraculous.
Carolina Beach/Pleasure Island is a wonderful place to witness the beauty of interdependence in our world. And, interdependence, the idea that everything in nature is connected to and depends on every other thing, is an ideal illustration of the way God intends us to live. Connected, in communion, harmonious, reciprocal. Yet, we do not even need to step beyond ourselves. As scripture reminds us, our body is an awe-inspiring example of interconnected systems, helping us to see personally how each facet is connected and dependent on the others. We are walking, breathing reminders of God's interconnected world.
So it is with our relationships with each other. And as followers of Christ, we join together under the body called "church." The makeup of the body, believers who bring unique gifts, talents, and skills all interconnect to create a whole that exceeds the sum of the individual parts. Our gifts bestowed to build up, encourage and comfort the body of the church. Scripture reminds us that as a body, we "belong to all the others." For the body of Christ to function properly, there have to be many faithful servants humbly working behind the scenes, who don't care about getting the glory, but rather see themselves as belonging, thus responsible, one to the other. They desire to make the church, the body of Christ, be all that God wants it to be.
John Muir, the famous author and naturalist, reminds us, "When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world." All we need to do to understand God's intention for us as a people, as a church, is to open our eyes and look with wonder, humility, and gratitude at the world around us. Perhaps before rushing into our day, take a moment to wake, step outside and just breathe. Feel the warmth of the sun or let the rain trickle down our faces. See the trees dance in the breeze, look for birds in the sky and listen to the buzz of life around us. We are a part of all we see, feel, hear, and smell. When we commit to our church community, we have the opportunity and the blessing to experience how our interconnectedness brings the hope of Christ to each other and honors the responsibility, the privilege, and the blessing God has given us.
Reflection
Take a moment each day to consider how your work, volunteerism, and daily activity are touching others.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, we are so grateful that you have provided many examples of how you want us to live. Every aspect of your miraculous creation, from the moons gentle tug on the tides to the rain and sun that feeds the plants, reminds us of how much we all depend on each other, connect with each other, and through the sharing of our God-given gifts, have the ability to present a whole that far exceeds the sum of the individual parts. We can create this community in Christ because you first created us. And we are blessed to be unified under Christ, for in the loving community of the church, we find our purpose together. Help us, Father, to represent and reflect You to a world that so dearly needs Your hope and light. In Jesus Name, Amen.
Port City writer Paula Argenio wrote today's devotional.