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Her name was Sacagawea. She helped Lewis and Clark explore unfamiliar territory. She was an interpreter and negotiator. When they needed horses to cross the Rockies, they turned to her. She brokered a deal with the Shoshone. The Shoshone begged her to stay back but she insisted on continuing their journey west. Sacagawea was invaluable to the Lewis and Clark Expedition. When one is exploring unfamiliar territory…it is critical to attend to the quality of one’s relationships! In many cases, that is all there is!
The Apostle Paul spent a lot of time in a boat. He went from place to place, people to people, always being assured that the future was unknown. A quick survey of Paul’s travels, in 2 Corinthians 11:24-28, underscores that his itinerary was always unpredictable, and his future was routinely called into question. Paul, however, attended to the quality of his relationships. Here is a short list: Barnabas, Silas, Timothy, Lydia, Aquila, Priscilla, Luke, and John Mark. Moreover, in Romans 16, Paul identifies thirty people by name who seemingly are integral to his missional journeys. He could not do it alone. When exploring unfamiliar territory…it is critical to attend to the quality of one’s relationships! In many cases, that is all there is!
2020 has been an unsettling year for everyone and we are not done, yet. Still, we know, from experience, that when we move through unfamiliar territory the only thing that matters is the quality of our relationships. 2020 has graciously reminded us of this truth. We do not always know where we are going. At times, we do not know what to do or even how to respond. It is in this great Unknown of Life where we discover that the only thing we have is each other…really, that is all there is!
We heard last Sunday in worship, a song by Matthew West entitled The God Who Stays. Here are some of the lyrics:
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