Since the before the beginning of time God
Father, Son and Spirit. Together.
Eve created for Adam. Together.
Through the journey of nations and time, weaved through scripture we see a community of God’s people and the strength and joy that that togetherness brings.
I was reminded by a friend this week that it was only a short year ago, on the 5th March 2020, that the first case of Covid-19 was reported in South Africa. It’s surreal to me how much our world has changed since then. Surgical masks were definitely not on my grocery list a year ago!
As our world has shifted and changed so too have we. We have been shifted and moulded into living lives alone. Screens have become our constant companion, and while they serve their purpose well, so to do we need to serve ours - as God designed.
Together.
I’ll let the scriptures speak for themselves here, this version is a favourite of mine - The Passion Translation…
1 Corinthians 12:12-20 TPT
Just as the human body is one, though it has many parts that together form one body, so too is Christ. For by one Spirit we all were immersed and mingled into one single body.
And no matter our status - whether we are Jews or non-Jews, oppressed or free - we are all privileged to drink deeply of the same Holy Spirit.
In fact, the human body is not one single part but rather many parts mingled into one. So if the foot were to say, “Since I’m not a hand, I’m not part of the body,” it’s forgetting that it is still a vital part of the body. And if the ear were to say, “Since I’m not an eye I’m not really a part of the body,” it’s forgetting that it is still an important part of the body.
Think of it this way. If the whole body were just an eyeball, how could it hear sounds? And if the whole body were just an ear, how could it smell different fragrances?
But God has carefully designed each member and placed it in the body to function as he desires. A diversity is required, for if the body consisted of one single part, there wouldn’t be a body at all! So now we see that there are many differing parts and functions, but one body.”
Together.
We need each other, God’s beautiful people need you. And importantly, you need God’s people.
Lauren Sharkey wrote an article on Healthline about Touch. What caught my attention was some of the symptoms of being without touch (touch starved) as they were so overwhelmingly familiar…. I’ll quote them here for you.
"How do you know if you’re touch starved?
There’s no definitive way to know. But in a nutshell, you may feel overwhelmingly lonely or deprived of affection.
These symptoms may be combined with:
feelings of depression
anxiety
stress
low relationship satisfaction
difficulty sleeping
a tendency to avoid secure attachments"
Covid-19 has had devastating effects on our communities. Death has become an unwelcome guest at our table, so too has hunger and helplessness. My beautiful friends, today as you read this, may I remind you that seated at that table is also Jesus. His eyes soft with compassion, His love permeating like freshly baked bread, the delicious aroma of which you cannot escape. His outstretched arms reach out with the hands of His people to care. To touch. To uplift. Together.
A friend often asks me… “how are you, how are you really?” Perhaps we need to do a self-audit of our “new normal”, have we slipped into patterns that are not of God’s design. To put in other words, are you touch starved?
Sisters, while we are restricted in how we touch and meet, it is time to be with God’s people, to laugh and love and connect face to face! Make a coffee date with a friend *disclaimer: love those around you by wearing your mask and staying home if you’re feeling unwell* Meet with “real” people and the body of Christ. Switch off the screen, get off the couch and GO to church. Love those around you and be loved.
Together.
See you over the coffee cup!
Colette
Colette Meyer is a partner at Women of Reverence, read her bio here: