The Plumbline

I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back. (Philippians 3:12-14) I am NOT someone who has a it all together with a "complete package" as it comes to talents, treasures, looks, or ability. We might like to give a good impression of having it "all together", but in reality, it takes a whole lot of duct tape and bailing wire to keep it that way! It takes a whole lot of work and emotional effort to live that way. In fact, I had decided a long time ago the "all together" / "complete package" just didn't "fit" who I wanted to be in this life. It took a while to get to the point of not being afraid to let others know...

Let each of us please our neighbors for their good, to help them be stronger in faith. (Romans 15:2) Our neighbor is really any other human being in close proximity to us. During the pandemic, many of us did not really make much contact with our 'neighbors'. We were living like 'shut-ins' and some of us even lost contact with the 'human race' except through things like Zoom or Skype calls. The things we may have 'endured' during the pandemic may just have contributed to a few of our 'neighbors' losing contact with us and vice versa. The loss of contact has actually made us a bit 'weaker' - as each of us really strengthens the other. "The impersonal hand of government can never replace the helping hand of a neighbor." (Hubert H. Humphrey) Take this idea one step further and you might say we became a bit more 'impersonal' in the age of the pandemic. We lost that 'helping hand' of neighbors. Remember, we aren't ...