THE PRODIGAL (6). ME, OTHERS AND GOD

THERE ISN'T A DAY THAT GOES BY WITHOUT ME CONNECTING IN SOME WAY WITH OTHER PEOPLE AND THINGS THAT HELP GIVE SOME MEANING TO MY LIFE (Mark 2).

SOME OF THESE LINKS TAIL OFF AND DISAPPEAR OVER TIME; OTHERS ARE STILL VERY MUCH A PART OF WHO I AM. IN FACT, EXISTING IS ALL ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER PEOPLE, THE WORLD AROUND ME, IDEAS - AND GOD.
Some of these relationships are cool - others can flare up in a moment.
Sometimes they're nothing special, other times they're one in a million.
Some have a lasting effect; sometimes they're only fleeting. Sometimes they involve love; sometimes true friendship. And whatever they're like, or used to be like - I'd be struggling to get rid of all trace of them, even if I sometimes dream of wiping the slate clean.
Relationship don't control me. I can choose to see them differently - untangle them, and bring out the stuff that's positive and for real. I don't have to be passive in relationshops; they can be a source of renewal and inspiration - and help me come alive.

WHO ARE MY BROTHERS? "Here are my mother and my brothers. Anyone who obeys God is my brother or sister or mother (Mark 3:20).
Think: Why do Jesus' mother and brothers stay outside the house rather than coming in?
What different 'families' do we belong to?
The controversy with the teachers of the law suggests two opposite sides.
Who do you think is on which side? Which side do the people think they are on? Does Jesus?
What might moving from one side to the other involve?

WHO IS MY NEIGHBOUR? ( The story of a Samaritan, Luke 10:25).
Who are 'our neighbours'? Who are we able to get alongside?
Out of all the characters in the parable, who do you feel closest to?
What does it mean to be 'good'? Just how much does that commit us to?

ALL ONE IN CHRIST JESUS.
The apostle Paul compares the history of God's revelation and each individual's personal story.
God first showed what He was like through the law given to Moses; the law was intended to bring guidance, dignity and God's blessing to people as they obeyed it. But  then Jesus came - and guidance now comes from faith: belief and trust in Christ.
For us as individuals, the story is similar. Until we experience this trust,  we all look for ways of feeling valued, justified, and having dignity, based on a range of man-made criteria:  strength, wealth, moral perfection, social status, race, gender, religious practices, and so on. But if we place our trast in Christ, none of these distinctions count any more. Our dignity is no longer all about belonging to a particular group, having certain qualities or a certain identity - it comes from the fact that we are children of God, just like  our brothers and sisters around us.
Think: When we meet someone, we see a man or a woman, black or white, weak or strong, rich or poor, young or old and so on. But is that all that people really are? What gives a person their value? What gives your your dignity? In whose eyes?
When Paul writes that we are 'equal with each other', is he saying that we don't have any particular traits? Does God relly see us all as identical? If God doesn't look at our particular traits, what does He look at?
What does that change in your relationship with other - and with yourself?

WITHOUT LOVE, I AM NOTHING! (Corinthians 13:13).
Corint was a dynamic community where there were all kind of expression of faith, but also rivalry and quarrelling. Paul compares this community to a body in which all the parts are different - and all are vital. He goes on to explain that if love is not at the heart of their Church, they are wasting their time.Think: What community are we called to buid? What will it be like if we hear Paul's message?
What does Paul say learning to love involves? Does this set the standard too high? Can anyone expresss love like this?
What's the outcome of all this for us? (Elsbeth Scherrer, Publishing manager).

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