Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“For I am longing to see you so that I may share with you some spiritual gift to strengthen you—or rather so that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.”
NL Daily Devotion for Sunday, May 7, 2023
by Dr. Kimberly Leetch, Clergy Stuff
Main Idea: We are hard-wired for human connection.
Paul had been away from his companions in Rome for too long. He had been preaching the gospel throughout the land and was weary from his travels. He wrote to them while in Corinth, expressing his desire to see them.
He acknowledged in his letter that his desire to see them was more than just a desire to feed them—in turn, he needed to be fed. Yes, he wanted to preach to them to fill their cup so that they could grow in faith. But also, Paul needed the support, love, and faith of the community to bolster him as he continued to preach the gospel while he traveled.
It's not enough simply to know we have loved ones out there who have our backs. Sometimes we need to be with our loved ones in the flesh—to feel their embrace, to hear their voice, to smell their sweet breath. Being in the presence of our loved ones does something real to us—it gives us a different kind of energy that can sustain us when we are away.
These have been a long few years. Even though the worst of the pandemic may be behind us, the effects of the isolation will take years, even decades to recover from. Humans were largely deprived of that human interaction that humans are hard-wired to need. Students lost years of stability in their learning. Employees lost the connection that comes with daily physical interaction. Congregations lost momentum for ministries that require face-to-face participation.
It’s quite ok to grieve the losses, even as we pick ourselves up and figure out how to live in the new normal. It’s also ok to acknowledge our desire and need for physical contact and face-to-face interaction. We need each other, as Paul needed his community. Yes, even Paul, whose ministry often isolated him, needed his people. He reminded them that his spirit was with them every single day as he prayed for them. He also accepted that he needed them as much as they needed him.
We have a long way to go to find our balance again. In the meantime, let’s continue to connect in the house of worship where our contact comes with a greater purpose—that of growing in faith for a gospel of salvation.
