by Ptr. Jhun Valeroso
Reading for the day: John 17:20-23
“Wilson? Wilson! Where is Wilson!? Where are you, Wilson?!…. Wilson, I am sorry Wilson”
These are the words of Chuck Noland from the 2000 movie Cast Away when he lost his best friend, Wilson, in the middle of the ocean. Chuck, played by multi-awarded actor Tom Hanks, works in FedEx as a logistics officer. Onboard his company’s cargo plane, he flies over the Pacific Ocean en route to Southeast Asia. A violent storm during the flight causes the plane to crash into the vast ocean. Washing ashore on an island, he wakes up and finds himself alive! He searches the whole island for other survivors or locals living in the island, only to find out that he is the only survivor and the place is uninhabited.
As he spends time on the island, he learns to fish, build a shanty, sleep in the cave, and start a fire. After struggling with being stranded alone, he eventually becomes adapted to island life. In order to cope with loneliness, he meets his best friend – Wilson.
Chuck loves Wilson so much. He talks to Wilson whenever he wants to vent out his frustrations or plot out his plans. He cuddles Wilson every time he feels lonely. Wilson is always there whenever Chuck needs him.
After Chuck constructs a makeshift raft out of scrap metal sheets and some materials from the island, he and Wilson begin their journey, with the aim to be rescued somewhere, anywhere, somehow.
One fateful morning after a storm during their journey, Chuck wakes up to Wilson having fallen off the raft and floating away. Chuck fails to rescue Wilson and is left to grieve for his loss. Moments after that, a cargo ship passes by Chuck and rescues him.
And yeah, I forgot to tell, Wilson was not a real person. He was a volleyball, named after its brand.
Many of us are like Chuck. No matter how intelligent or courageous we are, we need a Wilson in our life. We all need someone to talk to, someone who readily listens. We all need someone to fellowship with.
We need the church. We need the brethren. We need each other.
The church is not just an ordinary group. We are a family of believers. As a family, we enjoy each other’s company. We are happy for each other’s victory. Whenever one is amidst trials, we extend a hand, and at the very least, pray for them. The church is meant to be one body. As one body, our spirits must be one with each other as well.
During the first Christmas, the accounts of the Scriptures tell us that there was a camaraderie amongst the believers. While in flesh, Jesus kept Himself in fellowship with the Father and with His disciples. The disciples also enjoyed each other’s company.
Christmas is synonymous to reconnecting with our loved ones. God Himself exemplified this. He took the first step to reconnect with us by giving His Son Jesus (John 3:16). Because of this, we can now be able to come to the Father through Christ. God doesn’t just love us, He wants to fellowship with us
God took the first step to reconnect with us by giving us His Begotten Son.
One of the prayers of Jesus when He was still on earth was for the believers to be one and also to be in harmony with Him and His Father. Authentic fellowshipping can only be found in the church. We need not to look at the things of this world because these things won’t last. We are called to fellowship with our fellow believers. Our houses of worship are places where we share the goodness of God with each other. It is a place where we mingle with people who are just like us – never perfect, but perfectly forgiven.
In heaven, there is a never-ending celebration, praises, and camaraderie so we must start practicing now!
The church that we belong to has lots of avenues and opportunities for us to fellowship with our fellow 4th Watchers. From Flock Meetings to Sunday Worship, District Conferences to International Convention – every single church service promotes solidarity of its members.
As we feel that sense of belongingness in the church, we can’t help but feel proud because God has included us in a family that strives to thrive together.
Reflection: When did you first feel that sense of belongingness in the church?
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