A Fresh Perspective - 08/31/07
In John's Gospel Jesus tells his disciples that he is going away, but he would not leave them as orphans; he would come to them. He promises that he would send them "another advocate" (other renderings are "counselor," "comforter" or "helper"; some modern versions simply transliterate the Greek word as "paraclete"). Jesus communicates this same promise in other ways. He promises that he and the Father will make their home with his disciples and abide with them.
Joni Erickson Tada, who has been a quadriplegic most of her life, has been a remarkable witness to God's grace. She says, "God does not give reasons or answers. He goes one better. He gives himself . . . If you are the one who is at the center of the universe holding it all together . . . you can do no more than give yourself." This is Jesus' promise to his disciples. He would no longer be with them in a visible, physical or tangible way - but he would abide with them spiritually.
These promises of the continuing presence of Christ occur in a larger context that relates to loving God and loving one another. Gail O'Day, who teaches at Candler School of Theology in Atlanta, offers an interesting interpretation. She says, "The promises of divine presence are promises made to the community [the community of faith, the church], not to the individual. All of the personal pronouns in these verses are second-person plural, not singular. Jesus does not promise the Paraclete, or his return, or the home-making of God and Jesus to individuals, but to a community who lives in love." That's a fresh perspective isn't it? The promise is to the community, not the individual.
It is true that sometimes, only in a community of believers is faith awakened; only in a community of faith are we inspired to trust in the living presence of Christ. It is only in a community where we are offered unconditional love that we feel safe enough to take off our blinders and actually see the entrapments, addictions and destructive tendencies of our false self. A loving community of faith provides a safe place to acknowledge our faults and weaknesses and take the risks that love demands.
A healthy faith community is one that will so unconditionally accept and embrace us that we will feel free to fail as many times as necessary in order to succeed. In such a community we will encounter the loving, healing and transforming presence of Christ.
Chuck Queen is Senior Pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church, Frankfort (www.ibcfrankfort.com); he welcomes your comments at cqueen@fewpb.net. Look for "A Fresh Perspective" every Friday.