“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh, rather, serve one another humbly in love.” (Galatians 5:13 NIV)
In a treatise titled The Freedom of a Christian written over 500 years ago, Martin Luther argues, based on this biblical text and others, that Christians are simultaneously free and bound. Christians are free from the law and works as a means of salvation; Jesus has done the salvific work in his death and resurrection.
However, because Christians become a part of the body of Christ, their life is bound to their neighbor. They are called to serve their neighbor through the love of Christ.
That’s a lot of big theological concepts for those who may be less familiar with Luther’s works, but it is something that all of us, Christian or not, can learn from. We are designed to be interdependent; the well-being of each of us depends on the well-being of all. When our neighbor suffers, we are called to help.
We saw that recently in the tragedy of the Texas flooding. People poured out to help rescue those whom they could and search for bodies for those whom they couldn’t. Neighbors turned up to comfort the mourning. The US Coast Guard used all their resources to find people. Folks from far away gave money to organizations assisting with boots on the ground. We, as the body of Christ, ached as fellow humans lost lives, lost loved ones, lost homes and possessions. We, as the body of Christ, are called to help as we are able.
Grace Lutheran recently sent a mission team to Guatemala to build a house for a family. It may not seem like a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but this family had been praying for this home for over a decade. They had built up flat land on a hill and a retaining wall on undesirable land over the course of three years to slowly but surely prepare a place for a home. They had applied to an organization called Casas por Cristo a year ago and had finally been selected.
A team of us built a home, with the help of the extended family, in 2 ½ days. At the dedication of the home, they wept and shared that this was truly a miracle.
Our mission team went to simply share the love of Christ through our hands and feet and partnered with the Holy Spirit to create a miracle. It was humbling and beautiful.
There are neighbors in Luverne that need to be served, too. Through church missions, the local food shelf, visiting ministries for the home-bound, Atlas, and many more, the love of Christ is woven through the fabric of our community. We do better when everyone does better.
We are free from sin and death through Christ, but we are called to serve each other. God’s love through Jesus Christ is available to all, but all may not know the love of God if we don’t reach out and share it in both word and deed.
