In the secondary school leadership class, I challenge the students to assume the best of their fellow students. The leaders are given great responsibilities throughout the school year and they can become overwhelmed. My encouragement to them is to delegate, which actually causes them more stress! They realize they do not trust the outcomes to others, at about the same time they are faced with the reality that they simply cannot do it all on their own. It is at this realization that the leaders are exhorted to consider their fellow house mates to be trustworthy and competent until they are shown to be otherwise. That is where the rubber hits the road for them as leaders—and for all of us, don’t you think? We must assume the best of each other. And when we learn that we assumed incorrectly, we still must resolve to forgive and restore our relationships.
This idea is so counterintuitive and counter cultural, that only God can make sense of it—and He does. Over and over again in His Word He tells us to forgive. Over and over His Word shows us Christians bearing with one another and our Lord Himself is longsuffering with us. This messy Christian community is not only for God’s glory, but for our good. (He works all things for the good of those who love him Romans 8:28)
Living out this sin-repent-forgive-restore cycle happens before a watching world; and is bewildering to it. Responding to wrong with love only makes sense in the context of Christianity.
As a child, both parish churches I attended would regularly sing a song that I think describes very simply what this Christian community looks like (edited):
We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord,
And we pray that all unity may one day be restored.
And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love,
We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand,
And together we’ll spread the news that God is in our land.
And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love,
We will work with each other, we will work side by side,
And we’ll guard each one’s dignity and save each one’s pride.
And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love,
All praise to the Father, from whom all things come,
And all praise to Christ Jesus, his only Son,
And all praise to the Spirit, who makes us one.
And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love,
Yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love.
Jeanne Wilks
Secondary Principal