Workbox 04: Brotherhood

Exploring the ties that bind us together

Thank you for reading the Workbox! If this is your first time coming here, feel free to check out some of my other posts! If this is not your first time, then welcome back! I am glad that you have returned to sift through the sandy beaches of my words for nuggets of truth. Today, I am going to share my thoughts on brotherhood. Brotherhood is a topic that resonates with me. As someone who has brothers and deeply enjoys the many aspects of it, I want to share with you the valuable nature of brotherhood. 

I work in a place that spends great care in fostering a sense of camaraderie. Camaraderie is no easy thing and requires a high degree of intentionality. Some things, such as bocce ball and silly staff photos, are light-hearted and fun. At the same time, others are heavy and require hard conversations. While going to the fun stuff is easy, it does not build a lasting foundation. One needs the sterner stuff to build trust and commitment. These are critical elements for brotherhood. I have truly been blessed to be mentored in and around this brotherhood, taken in and nurtured. 

This Substack, and several other topics, are a product of what I have learned over the past five years. Today, brotherhood, tomorrow, who knows what. I would encourage you to be a part of a brotherhood. 

Here is where we dive into the deep end of the pool. If you are a Christian, you are part of a brotherhood. We make up the Body of Christ. We are his brothers and sisters. We have been adopted into the family of God. That makes us brothers to Christ. We went from one natural family to God's eternal, ever-growing family. This brotherhood will never end. It will only become stronger. The bond of this brotherhood goes deeper than the Mariana Trench. The ties that bind these brothers together are twisted together tighter than the thickest steel cable. More than skin deep, it transcends our flesh and knits us together on a spiritual plane. Our fellowship is manifested in the flesh by communing together, mutual support, and a common goal. 

When we were adopted into the family of God, Jesus tore down the dividing wall of hostility that separated us from Him. Ephesians 2 outlines this in great detail, describing the grace-filled actions of God in restoring us to Himself. Paul uses familial language in what happens when God does this for us. 

"...Reconcile us both to God in one Body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.  And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near.  For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.  So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God."

We are now a part of the household of God, as children of God that makes us all siblings, and if siblings, brothers, one of another. We are now part of a distinct brotherhood. Reborn into a new family that lives within its standards and direction. Just as a brotherhood operates with special rules and customs, so does our brotherhood do the same. This particular community reaches back into the beginning of history and continues far beyond our vision of the future. As I stated earlier, we are the Body of Christ. This analogy is of great importance and is in the Bible for a specific reason.

A body is a unified whole. It also maintains an overall function and form. A body has many members and uses but has a certain look about it. Our bodies are similar but also, at the same time, unique. So it is with the Body of Christ. We are members of it, and we share a singular purpose. To glorify God and enjoy him forever. Our commonalities that we share as being a part of this transcendental brotherhood are given to us by God for God. At the same time, each member of the Body is equipped with its own skills, talents, and purposes. A hand is not a foot, but they are both a part of the same Body. 

Many benefits come with brotherhood. One of these benefits is mutual support. Time and again, we see in the New Testament the accounts of Paul encouraged by the arrival of another Brother in Christ. He hears of his fellow churches and prays thanks to God for the blessing of the knowledge that they are loving each other. Several of his epistles start this way. Paul's enthusiasm is a challenging reminder of how we should view our fellow saints. Do we actively pray and thank God that we know that others are following the Lord? There is profound comfort that we are surrounded by other believers running hard after Christ. 

Another benefit of brotherhood is the common goal of Christ. Since Christ is the head, he is the leader. Our goal as the body is to follow the head. We can rest in his leadership and trust in his authority that he will take care of us and do what is best. Here, it is essential to learn about Jesus, to know his character, and to study him. When we develop a knowledge of Christ's character, we are more assured of his leadership. And as our love for him grows, so does our trust. We begin to make the incredible connections of his various character traits, our view of him expands, and our hearts swell to encapsulate the great truths of Christ. And as our love for the head grows, so does our love for the Body. The body derives its value from Christ. Jesus sacrificed himself for us. Do we treat each other in that way? Our brotherhood was formed in blood. We are part of a unique fellowship of people who have placed their trust in Jesus. 

This brotherhood, however, does have special demands upon its members. One must love his neighbor as himself, love his brother, love his enemies, and love God with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength. He must no longer see himself as the supreme end of existence. His desires are not over and above others. Rather, he is to submit himself to Jesus and trust that Christ will sanctify him and return his desires purified and made holy. When this happens, unity is formed, bonds are strengthened, and such a brotherhood is established that not even Hell will prevail against it. We must trust in our leader. Jesus, our King, has gone before us. He is the founding member, and he has made a way for us. He said, "I am the way, the truth, and the light." I exhort you today to join this brotherhood, to submit yourself to Christ, and to live in the wonderful reality of truth, beauty, and goodness, which is part and parcel of the love of Christ.