The ‘Hood
Then he said, “Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you’ll get some!” So they did, and they couldn’t haul in the net because there were so many fish in it.
Then the disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, “It’s the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his tunic (for he had stripped for work), jumped into the water, and headed to shore. The others stayed with the boat and pulled the loaded net to the shore, for they were only about a hundred yards from shore. When they got there, they found breakfast waiting for them—fish cooking over a charcoal fire, and some bread. John 21:6-9
What is it about a brotherhood or sisterhood that makes it special? For me, it is this level of similarity and understanding. It is the connection between peers whether it be at work or home. It is not like the one you have with a spouse, children, or direct bloodlines, but to some degree or another, you may have relatives that fit within that very relationship.
It is a special one that I always relish, and it is particularly true when you have fellowship with other Christians. I think of those closest to me in that circle, and I simply just love them. This year, I made a personal commitment to further deepen those bonds that matter to me most. It is not that I expect to get things for it. In fact, my wish is to give more energy, time, and efforts toward them such that they can feel the sense of love that I have for them. It is to better reflect the love that has been given to me by Jesus Himself. And that is really what it is all about. Loving others as He loves us.
Connection with others as we have with Christ is vital to our spiritual growth. In today’s verses, we see the loving connection Jesus and His disciples have. There is this warmth and special connection they have, and of course, His disciples loved that they were seeing not just their Lord but equally as important their comrade and friend. I admit to never really delving into the interrelationship between Jesus and the disciples. But when you take into consideration all they had went through together, the many teachings they learned from Jesus, and the fact He went from death to resurrection, one must acknowledge that there is a special and unique bond they shared. If we are to live a life that follows one like Jesus, having deep, lasting, and loving relationships with other fellow Christians should resemble this. No, I am not saying to throw yourself at others with the hope to connect with them. I am saying that if that is an aspect of our walk of faith that is missing, we may need to take steps to ensure that our relationships are indeed healthy, fulfilling, and heart-felt. It probably does not require ‘jumping in the water,’ but maybe preparing a few snacks to hang out and watch a show or game is not a bad idea.
Healthy relationships are a good indicator of how closely our walk with Christ is. This is not to say everyone should be our friends. It is to say that if we do not have people outside of family that we can connect with or trust, there is much work to be done. Jesus as we know did say, “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends,” (John 15:13) and, “The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.” (Mark 12:31) Clearly, our relationship with others matter to Him. So, whether it requires us to get out of our comfort zone to reach others or deepen our already existing relationships, let us spend more time building relationships that reflect the love we have for Jesus Christ. Who should you reach out to today? What individual or group of people should you be willing to invest more in to build a more Christ-like relationship. My prayer is we open our hearts to others to ideally build a ‘hood of believers that Jesus would be proud of. Amen.