I love this word. Maybe because I’m an extrovert? Maybe because I love the Lord of the Rings? Whatever the case, many of us in Two Rivers are connecting with each other on walks these days. While I love a good walk in solitude, I am most happy when accompanied. It doesn't have to be chatty or profound in any measure; simply being in the presence of another reminds me that I am not on my own in this world. The other becomes the conduit of faithful presence, both human and divine.
Sometimes those who accompany us are given and sometimes they are chosen, but, in either case, attention needs to be paid to the space between. What is being nurtured in the (2 metre!) space between? Trust? Assurance? Possibility? Safety? Grace? The Holy Spirit is lavish with these possibilities if we are open to them.
Elton Trueblood once wrote a book called the Company of the Committed. This stirs my imagination, because it is an inspiring picture of the church - people who seek out companionship with others of the same purpose and choose to walk together into God's future. This does not mean conformity or uniformity, rather, a unity with diversity held together by a common calling and a growing understanding of the other. But it won't happen unless we create the space to receive and offer the gift of accompaniment. So, even as the cold air descends, let us keep walking together in the gift of accompaniment. GS
Watch The Goodness Project Video — Stories of Our City: Bob Moore
Bob Moore shares stories of delivery drivers’ generosity, how the city responds to needs, and the importance of creating homes with a supportive community for people without housing.