In the early days of the church there was an important concept promoted, that of doing life together. It really started with Jesus when he gave the disciples the new command…to love one another. Jesus went on to say that this is how his people…his followers would be known…by how they love one another. In other words, the journey of life and the journey of faith were not intended for us to do alone or in complete privacy. We are to walk the walk of life and faith “with” one another.
Paul, in the letters that he wrote to the early churches he started, expands upon this theme as well. In Galatians he writes that we are to “Bear one another’s burdens.” In Romans he writes that followers of Jesus should “Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep.” In 1 Corinthians 12 Paul writes, “If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.” In this last reference, Paul is using the image of the human body to say there is a oneness even in the midst of the uniqueness of all the various parts.
This spirit of togetherness is central to the church today. We worship, serve, share fellowship, learn, grow, give, rejoice, grieve, struggle, and celebrate together. Through all the church does, one theme connects us: we are called to live out our faith together. John Wesley valued this deeply, building small groups into the very structure of discipleship and membership for the people called “Methodists.”
If our faith tradition doesn’t speak enough to the need for togetherness, I believe it is basically hard-wired into who we are as human beings. There is a basic desire, a need even, within humanity to be connected to other people. We are social creatures.
Today, Friday June 19, our community has a wonderful opportunity to do something together. It’s an opportunity for our community to gather together to celebrate together, to cry and grieve together, and even to encourage one another…together. How we can do this is through the Heart and Sole Cancer Walk that is taking place this evening at Hitchcock Park right here in Mitchell. Heart and Sole is a local organization that raises and distributes funds to individuals and families who are dealing with the reality of a cancer diagnosis. Tonight’s walk is about celebrating the successes of treatment, grieving and honoring those who’s life was cut short by cancer, and encouraging and supporting those dealing with cancer in their lives or in a family member’s life right now.
The good news is that in so many cases, cancer is not as invincible as it once seemed. Research continues to develop new treatments and discover causes and cures. But tonight’s walk is about coming together as a community and doing what we can locally to support, encourage, and even to pray for one another. Maybe you feel like you can’t do much to make a difference against the reality of cancer. But what you can do is come, be a presence, and raise your voice to spread the message – “Cancer is never the final chapter!” You might even discover that someone you know is dealing with cancer and your smile and hug might be what is needed today. We can make a difference!! And often the greatest impact is felt when we do it TOGETHER!
Pastor Keith