Christian Aid week reflection on John 17: 6-19

John 17: 6-19     Aline's story here

The whole of Aline’s story is amazing and inspiring. 

I am struck by her strength of purpose and I’m delighted that we can hear just one example of how the help of Christian Aid really makes a difference in the lives of the poorest people in the world.

 

The sentence that really blew me away, though, was Aline explaining:

‘Here in Burundi, a neighbour is considered a member of the family.’

 

And we saw the photo of Aline feeding her 3 sons and 3 neighbours.

It certainly puts Jesus’ command to ‘love your neighbour’ in a whole new context: love them as if they were your family, treat them, welcome them, feed them like a member of the family.

 

I have had the privilege of taking a couple of funerals in the last fortnight – both farmers: and I’ve been touched, as I always am, by the bonds of family and neighbourliness which we all know in Pembrokeshire.

 

Betty, baking every week for her nephews after their mum died; 

those nephews, when they grew, providing extra muscle power on the farm whenever they were needed; 

the house of a widow looking like a florist shop, with a stream of visitors bringing flowers, cake and company; 

the community around coming together in the chapel to thank God for a life, and support the family left behind; 

the arms of love closing around young people as they move away from the grave and the reality of death.

 

We know what it is to love and support each other, not only as we face death, but in everyday life, too.

 

We are perhaps used to thinking about Christian Aid week and hearing that we should care for our neighbours across the world as we care for those across the street. 

 

But if we learn from Aline, we should treat our neighbours in Burundi as if they were family– we should learn about their concerns, care about their lives, want to help in times of struggle, just as we would a member of our family, or the many neighbours and friends who feel like family.

 

This is why Christian Aid week is important: it connects us with our family around the world: those who have something to teach us, and those who need our help.

 

When Jesus prayed for his disciples, he prayed that they might be one, cared for by the love of God the Father. He prayed this just before his death: he prayed that his followers might be recipients of the extraordinary love he had shown in his life and was about to display fully in his death and resurrection.

With the whole family of God throughout the world we see how immense and extraordinary God’s love is. 

A love which empties itself of all the richness of heaven in order to become human. 

A love which comes alongside us in our struggling and suffering to reach out with healing and wisdom. 

A love which goes to the cross and through death to bring the fullness of life to all people. 

 

Jesus teaches that it is love which unites God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit. Love forms the Trinity of God’s life into an everlasting, ever-loving community.

And Jesus prays for that same love to form his followers into a community of love, too.

 

But Jesus is not just praying for the disciples who happen to be in the room with him as he prays the words – he is praying for all those who will follow after, followers of Jesus who will spread across the face of the globe. People of faith who will be united in worship and prayer and also be united in action to help the poorest. 

The love for which Jesus prays is a love which makes all of us who follow Jesus united as sisters and brothers in God’s family.

 

And so one of the principles on which Christian Aid is founded is love.

The love which is given to us and which enables us to be part of a worldwide family; and the love which inspires us to pray and work and give to support those in our family who need our help.

In the name of Jesus, who makes us all his family. Amen