Fr Alex Swain

Beloved in Christ,

To be is, fundamentally, to be in relation to. 

No person is ever in a vacuum—we are constantly in relationship with ourselves, our environments, and the people, things, and experience which press in on us.

And to be a human well, that is, to experience what positive psychologists might refer to as flourishing, is to be in relationship with other people.

Humans are not meant to exist alone. This goes all the way back to Genesis. “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner.” (Genesis 2:18)

In today’s reading from Exodus, Moses is sitting before the people and making judgements about issues which they bring before him. His father-in-law asks, “Why do you sit alone, while all the people stand around you from morning until evening?”

He recognizes that Moses working alone at this task is not good for him and suggests that Moses choose representatives to arbitrate cases—to share the burden, the load, the challenge with others.

In 1 Peter, we see the Apostle, who was with Christ himself, exhorting the elders to “tend the flock of God” and to be good leaders among the people—not one singular person, but multiple people, in community.

Today, let us give great thanks for being a part of a community here in the church. The word church, after all, comes from the Greek word ecclesia which means, “assembly.” That is, a group of people, coming together for a purpose.

What a gift it is that, in the midst of all that goes on in our lives, we are able to hold and be held by members of our community, to share one another’s burdens, rejoice with one another’s joys, and support one another in times of challenge and scarcity.

The church is the Body of Christ, and what a joy it is to be a part of it with each of you!

Yours in Christ,

—Fr Alex