Tearfund Lent Devotional Day 13

God is in the gathering

‘For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.’ (Matthew 18:20, NIV)

This Bible verse is about far more than just prayer or worship. Jesus is telling us something vital about the human condition:

We’re not meant to go it alone.

This is the opposite of the message of our age. We are told that the individual is absolute; that we should be self-reliant; that there’s power in independence. No wonder so many of us are miserable.

We are, quite literally, made for each other. God formed us for togetherness. It is in community, fellowship and interdependence that Spirit finds a home.

It’s not always easy. People are messy. Relationships are difficult. Yet they are what adds life to being alive.

God is in the gathering.

Lord, help us to build community. In a world of individualism, help your church to show the beauty and power of the collective. Pour your blessing upon our relationships; we gather in your name. Amen.

Gideon Heugh

Gideon writes for Tearfund and is a poet and environmentalist