Nothing On My Own

Jesus said, "I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge; and my judgment is just, because I seek to do not my own will but the will of him who sent me.

"If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true. There is another who testifies on my behalf, and I know that his testimony to me is true. You sent messengers to John, and he testified to the truth. Not that I accept such human testimony, but I say these things so that you may be saved. He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. But I have a testimony greater than John's. The works that the Father has given me to complete, the very works that I am doing, testify on my behalf that the Father has sent me. And the Father who sent me has himself testified on my behalf. You have never heard his voice or seen his form, and you do not have his word abiding in you, because you do not believe him whom he has sent.

"You search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that testify on my behalf. Yet you refuse to come to me to have life. I do not accept glory from human beings. But I know that you do not have the love of God in you. I have come in my Father's name, and you do not accept me; if another comes in his own name, you will accept him. How can you believe when you accept glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the one who alone is God? Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; your accuser is Moses, on whom you have set your hope. If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. But if you do not believe what he wrote, how will you believe what I say?" John 5:30-47

As a child I loved recess. I still do love those hours of unsupervised play in a park or at home. When I was a child, the fastest kids out the door from school always got the best swings. I was never one of the fastest. There were slides and teeter- toters for the slower ones of us. All those took working with others, coordinating weight and height or standing in line. Some of still think they can get to the swings first and we never have to coordinate with anyone. In reality, we all have to be in relationship, we all have to work with others, we all have to share our gifts and talents, and deal with unequal balance and time.

Jesus talks directly about his interdependence with the Creator of all and with others. Even the Son of God, even the Incarnate love of God, was dependent upon and lived in relationship with God and others. We Americans sometimes think we can be totally independent, self-made, fearlessly unique. We are delusional when we behave and think this we. We are interrelated, interdependent and reliant on those who have come before us and who have paved the way for us. We are reminded today of all our relatives, including creation, and the importance of living as related, dependent human beings. 

Today I ask God to help me be aware of all those who have helped me and who I rely upon. May we never forget the great sacrifices of Christ and our ancestors, who lived sacrificially and  who died to make us free.