5th Easter Be Connected

In Eastern Ohio in the woods wild grape vines grow. They actually can cover a lot of trees and space; in the end damaging them. They take over everything. Yet, no fruit to speak of, and about the only use is for kids to swing on. 

For a forest to be healthy there needs to be a variety of trees, both deciduous and conifers. And underlying them there needs to exist a fungal network that connects their roots. It is that network that will transfer food and other chemical messages so that the forest adapts and thrives.

Networks form our world. Life comes from connections; the stronger and healthier the connection the more life thrives.  We see this in our families; a family thrives because of the closeness of the husband and wife. When that bond remains strong and the focus, when and if kids arrive, they will find a healthier life.  We see this in our more broad communities: parish and church; neighborhood and city. As people reach out and build up relationships, these thrive and can endure; even in the roughest of times.

This makes sense, right, because the essence of God, as we believe as Christians, is that God is a connection, a network; a relationship of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. A connection so strong that the three are one.  All life flows from the divine relationship.  All life derives from God.  We come from this.  As we remain connected to the Divine, we find life, we find our purpose; not only that, by remaining connected it hones us; prunes us in that purpose.

To do otherwise, as Adam and Eve discovered, brings division, suffering, death. We wander.

God desires LIFE for us. God created us for life, not merely to be alive, but to have the fullness of life: to love others, to be able to trust in others; to be able to reconcile, to serve and help others; to build community; all images of the Trinity.

Jesus came so that we may know of this, and know that God wants us to be connected.

What was the first thing Jesus did as he began his public ministry? He formed a community around him; men and women. Symbolizing God’s will for all to be united. Also reminding us that we truly do need each other, we need to be connected. He speaks of this in the Gospel and tells us He is the vine; “he” meaning how he lived, loved and ultimately gave of himself for us. So if we wish to build up our own connections to God and to others, that is the way.  

One of Paul’s great themes was that Gentiles, along with the Jews, were equal before God. God desired the Gentiles to be connected. God desires all people to know and experience God’s freedom; and to know that nothing can separate us from that; except ourselves.

We know that Isolation, alienation only produces depression and can lead to other problems. Even the famous hermits of ancient Christians had to return to the community every so often for their good and to prevent madness.  We struggle in our Western, Libertarian culture and philosophy.  We tend to believe, consciously or unconsciously, the lie that “I need nobody.” “I can do it all alone.” “My rights, my way outweigh anything else, and anyone else.”  We can see the consequence...the divisions, the violence, depression, anxiety, the death…  Don’t have to watch the news; any of us can cite examples in our lives, whether we have caused this, or been victims of it.  Even our church falls into this lie and we need to be reminded of it, called on it.

Jesus calls us to Life, to God, to be connected.  Jesus calls us to humility; to see ourselves as part of a larger community; a family not based on DNA, but even more...of essence.  

We as church, as parish, as persons are at our best when we remember this and live this.  To welcome and include, to forgive and be forgiven;  To share in the life.

I think we are at our best when we truly live as community; in which we provide a means for people to connect; to know that they are known.  This is especially needed for young persons.

What has hurt so many this past year was the inability to connect person to person. We as church had to innovate to make this happen. Some parishes did this well, others, not so much.  I see the smiles now as more and more of us are vaccinated, returning to this parish, to greeting each other.  I saw this parish gather around Nelda last week in her time of need.  

It also means we as church, and as persons, must do our own parts so as to remain connected to Christ, to God.  We must be a people who worship together.  We must be a people who pray.  We must be a people who take action.  We will make changes as a parish to help us connect better to Christ; to help us continue our own formation as disciples;

To help us as Parish to include others.  In this, strengthening our connection to Jesus Christ, this parish and we, will find life.