Philippians
2:5-8
“In
your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
Who,
being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be
used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very
nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in
appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death- even
death on a cross!”
To
say that this is how I pictured my last semester of undergrad would be a lie.
The past few months have been nothing short of a wild roller coaster for which
I don't even remember getting in line. More than that, it feels like someone
blindfolded me, forced me into the seat, and conveniently forgot to strap me
in. Plus add the fact that this ride feels never-ending AND I’ll be missing the
free ice cream scheduled at 2 that I’d been looking forward to all day.
Honestly I could go on and on with this analogy.
If
you’re like me, then you kind of want to shut off all forms of media just for a
little bit. I’m not promoting becoming less informed but sometimes it feels
like you’re being told a million different ways to “do quarantine right”.
However, I think it’s important to know that (besides well-educated healthcare
professionals) the example we are called to live by is Christ’s.
So
why is Jesus our perfect quarantine lifestyle to live by?
To
me, everything that Jesus represents is beautiful, heart wrenching, soul
stupefying grace. And it’s the gift I find most comforting about Him. Right
now, I think it’s probably the most difficult it’s ever felt to cultivate
grace-for others and for myself. Even under normal circumstances, I often
struggle to have grace with myself. I set too many expectations for myself. So
as these new waves of emotion began tossing me around, I find it increasingly
difficult to show myself kindness. I feel sad for the losses I was experiencing
yet guilty because my circumstances aren’t as difficult as others. I feel
anxious and fearful about the future but wrong for not having enough faith. I
feel angry because I don’t understand why things are happening this way but doubtful
because I was questioning God’s mysterious plan. And sometimes I feel that overall I am too
emotional and I need to tame the feelings. It’s nauseating. And when you don’t
have enough grace for yourself, it can be difficult to have grace for others as
well. But I also think it is the most critical time to have it.
This
passage in Phillipians is powerful for many reasons and gives us 3 main
messages on how and why we should follow Jesus’ example.
- Exercise humility by sharing
grace with others.
Our
world is hurting. Physically, mentally, spiritually, financially. It always has
been but now on a pandemic-level scale. Our hearts are broken. We are all on
this emotional rollercoaster: we’re furious, we’re grief-stricken, and-most
evidently-we’re afraid. But just as Jesus carried the burden of our brokenness,
he calls us to live out his example. His gift is not mine to amass for myself.
I’m
not saying don’t hold people accountable. We all can reference the sassy
remarks Jesus delivered to a Pharisee or even a disciple on many occasions. I’m
simply suggesting to ponder the damage of another person’s heart, their
circumstances, and experiences, just for a minute. And choose to share the gift
of grace.
- Exercise love by allowing
yourself grace too.
Jesus
was fully human for a reason. He was fully God and fully human, not simply to
have a standard to live by but to have a soul with whom we can relate and be in
relationship. Someone who is fully God, with fully divine intent and action,
and yet still experienced the depth of human emotions, the devastation of a
broken heart. In the garden of Gethsemane, before he was arrested, Jesus prayed
to God aware of the events on the horizon, “Father...everything is possible for
you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will” (Mark
14:36). And later as he was being crucified it is said that as he died “Jesus
cried out in a loud voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?’ (which means “My
God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34) Even the Messiah, King of
Kings, fully divine does not deny his broken heart. He bears 8 billion broken
hearts in the beating flesh of his own. Because this heart, broken like the
world He loves, is part of what leads us to the greatest gift in history.
Reading
this scripture helps me know that it’s okay to be on this crazy roller coaster
of emotions and thoughts. Because Jesus is right beside me, at times shouting
with fear and joy in the same way, but always holding my hand. And that means I
can have a little grace with myself: for feeling fearful, angry, and sad; for
feeling clueless; and for wondering if I’m doing anything right. It is human
nature. And to deny my broken heart would be to deny the workings of His grace.
- Exercise empathy by taking
action.
Jesus
is fully man and fully God. He suffered the greatest trial and bore the
greatest burdens of our broken souls. The intertwining of his ability to bear
the greatest burdens of our souls and in doing so relate to our human nature
while simultaneously saving it, should in some way not only inspire us to take
action but compel us to do the same.
I
often find it difficult when I talk about suffering because I know that I come
from a place of privilege. It’s something we all possess in some capacity but
it exists differently for each of us. The point is that it is not earned
necessarily and it usually isn’t something that you asked for; sometimes you
can’t even control it. But the importance is in the times that you can and how
you use that power for the good of others. The greatest first step is to start
with empathy. The divine nature of Jesus provided us with an eternal priceless
gift. But don’t forget his human nature which provided us the eternal example
of empathy. Learn to empathize. Help take on the burdens of those who are
suffering from this situation. Because-the Lord truly knows-there are so many.
So many of us have had to sacrifice something because of this. Yet there are
things we can be doing to help relieve the weight of others. I’m not encouraging you to forget about your own
struggles, compromise your safety, or shaming you to meet some impossible
standard. But I am inviting you to contemplate what this looks like in your
life. Don’t be afraid to recognize the privilege you possess as well. Our circumstances are all
different, but I challenge you to find a way in which you can help do this
within your individual means. We can’t possibly bear the broken hearts of 8
billion people, but we can try to share the weight of some of the broken pieces
of another.
*This blog was written by, Loren Pierce, who is studying speech therapy at South Alabama. Loren is a senior and the ministry assistant at the Wesley Foundation.*
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