Knit Into One Communion: The Voices of St. Paul’s “In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I’ve been turning over in my mind ever since. ‘Whenever you feel like criticizing any one,’ he told me, ‘just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.’” - F. Scott Fitzgerald These opening lines to The Great Gatsby are a concise summary of the Church, and of the Christian life: a process of learning, in depth, one another’s stories–their choices, opportunities, advantages. And, yes, their mis-steps, their misfortunes, their disadvantages. We learn to have compassion, to see one another as more than just a representative of a category, to see the nuances of the life and circumstances that created the person before us. We are with each other as those stories develop. And we recognize that, no matter what, the person before us carries the image of God, just as they are. More often than not I come to connection. You and I are image-bearers; sure, but just as true is the connection in the brokenness: I, too, am a narrative in progress, and perhaps your story is just a few choices and chances away from having been mine. Born and raised in Grand Rapids, MI, Kate Davis moved here to work on earning an MDiv degree at the Seattle School of Theology & Psychology. An intern for the 11:15 community and a regular congregant of the 5pm service, Kate lives in North Queen Anne with her husband, Keller, and their dog, Oliver.
Posted on: Fri, 25 Oct 2013 19:05:13 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015