Retreat House Partner and Trained Spiritual Director Aaron Manes Reflects on Matthew 18:15-20

We live in the most connected world, we, as humans, have ever known and yet somehow find ourselves more isolated than ever. This reality also means that it is the easiest time ever to point out other people’s wrongs, ills or sins. It is so easy to quickly respond to a meme, a tweet or a post.

The converse is also true. We live in a time that completely allows us to be in our own echo chamber; to quiet the dissenting voices. We can mute, ghost or block a voice we no longer want to hear.

In an Inc. article from 2018 entitled, “Here’s Why The Internet Has Made Us Lonelier Than Ever” author Amy Morin says that the internet has caused these realities:

1) Our relationships with people have grown more superficial

2) Screen time interferes with our ability to read social cues

3) There is an emphasis on quantity of relationships over quality

4) Smartphone addiction interferes with face-to-face interaction

5) Remote work increases the feeling of isolation

When you add in a stay-at-home order, the ability for us to foster healthy relationships gets even more difficult. And yet, it is still possible to overcome all of these hurdles and create really strong relationships. In fact, I think that this may be the invitation of this passage.

You see, the early church didn’t have have the ability to text someone they were upset with. They had to physically go and be present with the person to share their feelings. You can argue the literal interpretation here but I think that if you are only looking at the method then you are losing the reality of the power of our presence with other people. When was the last time you went and apologized to someone? When was the last time you needed to make amends in a relationship? This passage is calling us into community. It is calling us out of isolation. It is calling us to courage and growth. It is calling us to be together because together is truly where we can join our spirits with our community and that is where God visits us.

“God our father and our mother, with our feet on this ground and as we breathe deeply together, we know we need quality over quantity. We need the courage to make amends. We need your holy interference in our lives so that we can be present enough to foster community for ourselves and others. We need the gift of deeper relationships which have been through good and bad times. We trust that you will sustain us in these isolating times and we ask for the gift of other people that we may be known by them and experience your grace in our relationships.” Amen

Aaron Manes is a Trained Spiritual Director as well as Creator and Host of the podcast series Reconstruction Calls. Visit his Web site.

LIsten to Rev. Dr. Lil Smith's Guided Meditation for Praying the Lectionary for Matthew 18:15-20.

Invitation
As you experience the practice of praying the lectionary, adopt a loving, caring and compassionate stance. If the end of your prayer and meditation time is not pointing to love and hope, there is more work to do. Keep wrestling. God is faithful to your journey. Love and hope will emerge. Be gentle with yourself and befriend any judgment that arises in you.

This excerpt was taken from a weekly meditation. To sign up to receive these, email us.