Go Together and Go Far

I heard an aphorism recently that stays with me: Go alone and go fast; go together and go far. The words are from a song that is forgettable, but the wisdom is not. The best definition of mature love, I think, is putting the other person first. Even eros, the romantic, kind of fiery love, must eventually include an element of self-sacrifice, if it is to “go far.” This includes selfless acts of all kinds- the heroic, as well as the prosaic- saving a life, for example, or saving our anger, when self-restraint is not our first impulse.

I’ve shared my memory of being in Bible study, many decades ago, when the subject of love was raised in the group. My answer was something like, “an elevated emotion or feeling- like butterflies.” An older couple, who was married over five decades, answered pretty much the same way: “It means putting the other person first.” One evening, after choir practice, the husband shared that a strong marriage requires each partner to give 60 percent. I must admit that I was so clueless at the time, it took a few beats for me to understand his math.

This kind of “sacrificial” love, that puts others first, is at the heart of Christianity. It begins with Jesus’s gift of Grace and pays itself forward when we support each other. Go together and go far. John 3:16 is probably the most familiar Scripture in the Bible: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” I’m all for hiking the Rockies and feeling God in nature, but like any enduring love, faith is buttressed by giving as well as receiving. Being in the company of like-minded searchers- supporting each other through tragedy and celebration, when faith is steadfast or wobbly. Worshiping God together- praising and praying, learning and studying- opening our eyes, then sharing what we see. These are Jesus’s words from Mathew 18: “For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.” He promises that He is present when we gather to worship, and that’s pretty good company, if you ask me.

When it comes to our faith walk, our community should fit like a pair of comfortable shoes. There is a church for everyone, which is why there is a different one on every corner. And the opposite also holds- if where you gather isn’t a good fit, keep shopping. Rest in the knowledge that you are beloved to God and that if you seek, He will guide your steps. The idea of worshiping in a supportive community goes back to the first handful of followers of The Way, before the name “Christianity.” Believers who gathered in the shadow of the Crucifixion and worshiped in the hope of the Resurrection. Before cathedrals and robes and rituals, there was community. Being together helps us “go far.” The song pairing is “We Gather Here.”

Until next time, stay safe, be brave and keep walking in the light.

We Gather Here
We gather here
bringing our joys and concerns
we gather here
with what we’ve learned
we gather here with our arms open wide
to the place where love abides

We gather here
to listen and renew
we gather here
be it many or few
we gather here to love and be loved
with our Father from above

We come here with our hearts open wide
help us Lord, to come inside
walk with us down every dark road
and don’t ever leave us alone
and don’t ever leave us alone

We gather here
giving what we can
we gather here
to join our hands
we gather here this hour of this day
walk with us, oh Lord we pray

We come here with our hearts open wide
help us Lord, to come inside
walk with us down every dark road
and don’t ever leave us alone
He will never leave us alone.