Gathered Together

This past week has been another one of those feel-deeply weeks. The feelings have been shock, anger, and fear. The hardest feeling for me has been the heart-heavy burden of knowing others, my fellow brothers and sisters, are hurting. I hurt when I see others suffering. Everything in me wants to run to them and take away the pain. I live in a world divided, and my fellow humans are rising up on their various sides and shouting their pain and fear at each

Bonnie Piovesan

other. In such a world, where do I run to stop the pain when everyone seems to be hurting? 

I could ask dumb questions like: “Which side is right?” or “Who deserves my care?” I say these are dumb questions because if we look at Jesus’ life and His teachings, we see these questions have already been asked and answered.

“Should we pay taxes to God or Caesar?” Matthew 22

“Who is my neighbor?” Luke 10

With all of the media outlets clamoring for my emotions, I can’t help but be drawn to Matthew 23. This chapter is one of those times when Jesus is direct with humanity. He is calling out hypocrisy in detail, and He echoes the Old Testament prophets by calling woe on some groups. It is easy for us modern Christians to read this chapter and distance ourselves from the first-century religious leaders of a temple long destroyed.

I think this may be one of those times that I need to be honest with myself and ask one of those Matthew 23 questions. Do I put burdens on my fellow humans that I am not willing to carry myself?

“Be a good citizen, follow my political party!”

“Love the neighbor who thinks like you!”

Jesus lived in a world divided. All around him, people were screaming against Rome and, at the same time, getting rich off of Rome. Jews, Greeks, Romans, Samaritans, and all other nations believed they were on the right side. Despite all of their differences, the one thing humanity agreed on was that Jesus was dangerous. This wandering preacher who healed the sick, preached salvation and forgiveness of sin, challenged the powerful, and showed us that there was a King who wanted all of us in His kingdom. And Jesus died for all of us.

 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.” 
​ Matthew 23:37 NIV

At the end of Matthew 23, Jesus gives this feel-deeply cry of longing to gather us to Him. It is this tender image of a mama hen gathering her little babies under her for warmth and protection. Yet, how often are we not willing to gather together with our brothers and sisters because we would rather fight?

In two weeks, the women of 1st Pres will gather together and focus on the Art of Gathering. It may be a little easy to assume we already know how to gather. May I offer a challenge?

Do we really know how to gather?

There are people around the world, gathering together to protest, march, filibuster, and engage in war. We seem to love to celebrate death and grieve death at the same time.
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Is this the gathering image that Jesus depicted?

My challenge is to take some time to explore how to gather together well. The image Jesus depicted was of a parent gathering all of their children under their protection. 1st Pres is a unique congregation in that we have practiced laying aside our political differences at the door so we could worship together. We practice this often, and because of that, it has become part of our culture. What else could we be practicing together to strengthen our 1st Pres family so we could bless our neighbor?

Exploring how to gather together as siblings feels more critical than ever. If we agree to let Jesus gather us together under Him, we may find the warmth we need to soothe our souls and then be that much stronger to offer healing to our hurting neighbor. It might seem like a small step in light of the divided world we live in, but it’s a start.

If you have not already registered for Courage to Connect: The Art of Gathering, you can still join us.

Register here or call the church office.​

In His Name, Bonnie