We Are Fragile

Encounter: Slowly read through Mark 14, Luke 22, Matthew 26 and begin to reflect on how the disciples of Jesus were feeling as he talked honestly about the tragic things about to happen. 

Fragile: not strong or sturdy; delicate and vulnerable.

The sense of the fragility of life is never more present than from where we are sitting in our 730 Challenge readings. We go from the chaos of Kings who fail to follow God’s ways, to religious leaders of Jesus’ day who fail to follow God’s ways, to the chaos in our own country caused when leaders do not follow God’s ways. We live in times when the instability in governmental and support systems we depend on are at risk, our investment accounts become vulnerable and we feel powerless when we are jolted awake by the sound of tornado warnings.  

Now, we have entered into the last weeks that Jesus has with his disciples and it is clear that Jesus understands just how fragile times are becoming.  Yet what is the most fragile thing? His disciples.

Jesus has begun to be brutally honest about what’s coming and he has spoken the “death” words more than once. His time is running out to prepare his fragile followers for his departure. And even though we know how the story ends, it may not be the part of His story we love the most. We have already begun to grieve. I felt it at The Chosen - The Last Supper last night and I feel it as I read through the gospel accounts as Jesus speaks more plainly with those he loves.  

I’ve been really rethinking what is important, how I spend my time, what I want to spend my precious time and energy on. Perhaps this is why it feels like a poignant moment to acknowledge our fragility and extend mercy for falling short and spend much more time going deep rather than wide with overextending ourselves until we forget to savor life. I find it poignant that this scene where Jesus reminds his disciples of the precious time we have with one another takes place in the house of Lazarus, whose return to life must still feel dramatically fresh. Death is in the air as Jesus reminds them that he, too, will die. But it is shared in the context of the promise of new life. Can we dare vulnerability in our worshiping communities, sharing what really matters with one another in the very house where resurrection is what we proclaim? 

The nature writer, Barry Lopez's wonderful line, "Everyone is held together with stories.  That is all that is holding us together; stories and compassion.” He traveled throughout the world many times finding himself in places where nature was vulnerable or fragile. His writings served the purpose of cultivating compassion in our world. When he passed at age 75, his obituary began with “His Life Helped.” 

We hold each other’s fragile stories and we honor those stories as we encourage our faith journeys with great compassion. Jesus gave us the best image of this as his story continues. We will soon come to that place where he speaks of betrayal from those closest to him, those he loved and then takes his own robe, ties it around his waist and washes their feet. 

God knows we are but dust, that is how our Lenten journey began. What could be more vulnerable than dust. So he tells us to wash each other’s feet. Honor, encourage and build up the body of Christ as Christ builds the church. “My power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). In these days leading up to the cross may we become aware that our fragility is not a detriment, but the ultimate empowerment for us to allow God to reign in and through us. Christ’s church is the answer for the world. And so may it be said of us, “Her Life Helped.” 

Serving with you,

Pastor T

Reflect:

Have you ever felt fragile? Vulnerable? Weak? What did you do at a time like this with those feelings? How does our world seem fragile at this time in history? 

Spiritual Practice:

Go watch The Chosen - The Last Supper Season 5 on at AMC Theatre Muncie. Journal what you felt and what struck you about the characters in the movie. What was their core struggle?

Gather:  Discuss how our stories hold us together, as Barry Lopez writes. Why is it so important that we honor and build one another up at times like this. Talk about how we help one another in our communities at fragile times. What does it mean to wash each other’s feet.