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

One of the things we have lost in our American identity is a real sense of community. We firmly believe in rugged individualism and that each person is completely capable by themselves. My Cherokee tradition and upbringing has taught me that we are all responsible for one another, and we can do nothing on our own. Even Jesus, Savior of the world, openly shared this truth. We can fools ourselves all we want, yet we need God and we need each other. A simple truth we can run from or embrace. And that embracing is true freedom.

Holy and Mighty Creator, you have planted us

in a wide variety of families and communities 

so that we might learn how to love one another

and rely on you for our every living breath.

Our world is crumbling sue to our selfishness

relationships have vanished due to our arrogance.

Turn us around today and transform us all

into your family, loving, interdependent and free. Amen.