Jonathan Manafo

I was at the Gym this week and as I was getting ready to go, a physically challenged man in a wheel chair entered the row of lockers I was in and began to also get ready to go. I obviously didn’t watch him too closely (I know I’ll hear it from my friends for this), but I did notice that he really was very able & capapble to do everything I was doing. I’m not sure where he worked out…I think it was in the pool for a swim.

I thought to myself…this guy’s amazing. With all the challenges he has, he does all that things I do. That moment brought me back to reality…I’m really not that special…but he is. He’s a hero. He doesn’t let things get in the way of what he wants to do.

The only reason for this post was to celebrate the unnamed hero I met in the Gym this week. Merry Christmas…you’re a greater man than I am.

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So…I’m still into ‘brothers & sisters’ on ABC on Sunday’s @ 10pm. Like I said in the first part of this blog (see: ‘this may sound unimportant but…’), this show reminds me of my family. We have the ocassional scrap (never bad), but we really get along well. I can honestly say we’re all best of friends. ‘Brothers & Sisters’ shows this kind of relationship, where the ties are deep, the blood is strong (my uncle always says…we got the same blood and don’t forget it) and the connection is unbreakable.

The more I think of this show the more I think of the church. The church I was brought up in had the tradition of referring to each other as brother and sister…this doesn’t mean that they had everything going perfect (I’ll leave these thoughts for another day far away), but they did get one thing right…the church is family. Well, at least they become like a family. A community of people who share God as their Father and Jesus as their bridegroom. I wish we could end our days more like ‘brothers & sisters’ on ABC…no matter what happened or who disagreed with whom, we realize that the bond we share is stronger than the differences we bear.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer says that it is a gift (and by grace) to share life with other believers. He writes these words, “Christianity means community in Jesus Christ and through Jesus Christ. No Christian community is more or less than this. Whether it be a brief single enounter or the daily fellowship of years, Christian community is only this: We belong to one another only through and in Jesus Christ…it means that a Christian needs others becaus of Jesus…comes to others only through Jesus…and in Jesus we have be chosen from eternity, accepted in time, and united for eternity.” (Life Together)

I guess we better learn how to get along. Forget the differences of denominational tradition or the cultural differences or styles. In Christ we are family. If my Dad were writing this he’d say, Punto e Basta! (that’s it).

Your friendly neighbourhood…brother!