When I first read Luke’s gospel reading, I was a bit confused. (I must admit, it took a few reads for me to understand Luke’s message.) But, after I let it soak in, I found his message sounding strangely familiar. After thinking about Luke’s writings for a while, I drew an immediate connection to the message. In the gospel story, Jesus drove out a demon and was being questioned by the witnesses. At one point he says to the crowd, “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.” It feels like Jesus is speaking about the power of being connected with him and with each other. Together, our strength is more powerful than any demon (whether that demon be Satan himself, our negative self-talk, or the lifestyle behavior we wish we could change). If we put our belief in God and each other, we will conquer the demons compared to if we only try to resolve our issues individually. The belief in God, the belief in our positive direction, and our belief in moving forward as a collective group brings us closer to God because of the power of connectedness and the power of belief. |