Comradeship and Craft

The weather was simply too warm for the people who wanted to attend our Craft Show. Not that any high temperatures were showing on the thermometer. It was just that, though the sun was shining brightly, the air was humid and heavy. It was a pity, because the show really was a joy.

We had ten or so exhibitors plus a local ukulele band and a stall run by the charity we were supporting that day. It was a real delight to see them all enjoying each other’s company even though there were not that many visitors to attend to. Each had brought a different skill and they simply appreciated each other.

It brought to mind a recent article by Keila Ochoa in Our Daily Bread. It is a reflection on the Jews who worked side by side to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.

In ancient times, a city with broken walls revealed a defeated people, exposed to danger and shame. That is why the Jews rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem. How? By working side by side, an expression that can well describe Nehemiah 3.

At first glance, chapter 3 might appear to be a boring account of who did what in the reconstruction. However, a closer look highlights how people worked together. Priests were working alongside rulers. Perfume-makers were helping as well as goldsmiths. There were some who lived in nearby towns and came to give a hand. Others made repairs opposite their houses. Shallum’s daughters, for example, worked alongside the men (3:12), and some people repaired two sections, like the men of Tekoa (vv. 5, 27).

Two things stand out from this chapter. First, they all worked together for a common goal. Second, all of them are commended for being part of the work, not for how much or little they did as compared to others.

Today we see damaged families and a broken society. But Jesus came to build the kingdom of God through the transformation of lives. We can help to rebuild our neighborhoods by showing others they can find hope and new life in Jesus. All of us have something to do. So let us work side by side and do our part—whether big or small—to create a community of love where people can find Jesus.

My time with the lovely friends it’s been my privilege to pastor for just under three years is coming towards an end. With it, the work of the church itself is also soon to be wound up. But I will always remember the generous, co-operative spirit that has prevailed here. I dare to say that it has rubbed off on those who come among us. And when two work together they may be surprised to find a third moving among them:

“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil … a threefold cord is not quickly broken” (Ecclesiastes 4:9 and 12, ESV)