From our patron, the holy apostle Paul, we hear teaching about living in community. The Christians in Galatia, as the Church in Galatia which Paul himself had planted, probably in the late 40s, needed to be taught about how to live in community in a Christian way. They needed to be taught, and we today need to be taught; because Christians always have to be taught how to live in community in a Christian way; that is, how to live in Christian community, in Christian fellowship locally worshipping together. Why to Christians have to be taught how to live in Christian community? It is because, like everything else of the Christian reality, the nature of community is part of the revelation of God in Jesus Christ. And so, today, we turn again to the topic of the mystery of community: the mystery of life in community around God.

I say, turn again, because we have looked at this topic of Christian community earlier, ten Sundays ago. I want to bring into our reflection some words from my preaching on the 4th Sunday after Trinity. I said, “In community, we must ever remember that God already knows everyone’s sins, that God already knows everyone’s heart. In community we must ever remember that God is at work in the heart and mind of every person to bring them to repentance, to confession, to humility and honesty before Him. Within the mystery of God is the mystery of trusting Him that He is in control, that unto Him all hearts are open, all desires known, and from Him no secrets are hid.” It is because of this that Paul exhorts us to restore anyone in our community who is caught in any transgression in a spirit of gentleness. Gentleness is one of the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit; it is a gift from God, not something we are born with or naturally use. Gentleness is comes from the virtue of Love (or Charity in its traditional name). To love fellow Christians who have committed any transgression involves a gentleness toward them, rather than being blunt and heavy-handed. The Gospel of Jesus Christ expects us to act in such a way. And when we remember that God already knows the transgression that has been committed, there is no need for anything but gentleness, because God is already at work in the heart of the person.

Paul has more to say in our Epistle on this topic of community, of living in community by the Spirit, walking together as a community with the Spirit. He says, “Keep watch on yourself, less you too be tempted.” How can we not here be reminded of Saint Peter’s teaching (1 Pet 5.8): “Be sober, be watchful. Your adversary the Devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking some one to devour.” The more we keep watch on ourself, the more we resist temptations of the demons each one of us have to deal with every day, the more we are serving not only God, and not only the betterment of ourselves, but we are serving our community. Rejecting the proposals of unholy spirits helps the whole of our parish community, Paul is teaching. We hear this in 1 Cor. 12.26: “If one member is honored, all rejoice together.” That is, if one member is victorious by the grace of Christ in the unseen warfare against a temptation from the Devil prowling around our heart, all benefit.

Finally, we hear Paul teaching on Christian community with these words: “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” To bear one another’s burdens is what compassion means. When we bear another’s burdens, we are suffering with them: we are like S. Simon of Cyrene carrying the Cross of Christ. It is the story of the Good Samaritan, who bore the burdens of the man left half dead on the road. It is as Paul says in Galatians 5: “The whole law is fulfilled in one word, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” To love is to bear others’ burdens, to carry them. When someone in a Christian community commits a transgression within the community, to carry them is to be gentle to them. We carry their burden by not piling on to them, which guilt, shaming, and judgment do. Our gentleness lightens their load, trusts that God is at work in the transgressor’s heart and conscience.

Brothers and sisters, those who walk in the Spirit live in the fruits of the Spirit: let us live in love, in joy, in peace, in longsuffering, in kindness, in goodness, in faithfulness, in self-control, and in gentleness. God is all-knowing and all-powerful, for Him nothing is impossible; and our lives, and the that of our parish community, are in the loving hands of His Son Jesus Christ, Who lives and reigns with the Father, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

Get full access to Anglican Ascetic Podcast at frmcdallman.substack.com/subscribe