Lichtstrahl 125 - I am the true vine

 LICHTSTRAHL 125       Gospel:  JOHN 15 (1-27)                4th EASTERSUNDAY           30.4.23
I AM THE TRUE VINE
 
All over the world it seems as if people are forced to leave their blood- and nationbound communities and countries behind, and thus do become homeless.   At a closer look however it is also noticeable, that it is not always forced upon people’s lifes, but that an impulse of forming new social life seems to underlie that phenomena as well.  An impulse to develop communities, which are independent of bloodstream or nation, free from traditional and conventional bindings. That is an impulse which can lead towards a much greater diversity and new possibilities out of a strong individualism in humanity.
 
As human beings we are not meant to be living alone, to pursue just our own individual development and aims.  That very quickly may lead into an egoity and selfcentredness, which is harmful to the world around us.  We are destined to form communities and bring together, what we have to offer as individuals, and what IN A TEAM  can become much more fruitful and meaningful.   And so all over the world people, who realize the importance of that, are trying to form new communities, free communities.  They do it, because it becomes their ideal of future sociality, and they do it out of a great enthusiasm and warm hearts.  But normally challenges very soon start to raise their heads, start to bring conflict and misunderstanding and then these communities, which seemed to be so promising break up  again.   And so this very important impulse for the future is weakened all the time by “the twelve dragons”  threatening the forming of free communities, as B. Lievegoed calls them in a little booklet, which is worthwhile reading.    
 
What is the secret to fight these dragons?   A centre needs to be formed. A centre not at the top, but a centre in the middle, which  is equally visible to everyone standing in the circle around it.  If this centre  can shine into the whole community as everybodie’s orientation or point of consciousness, it will combine all talents, all capacities, all gifts in a way that they can serve each other, because they are all serving the centre.  In times of hardship and challenge they do not have to break up, but are able  to bring solutions, peace and transformation to the whole.There is however a secret to the nature of such a centre.  It needs to be  the carrier of a higher aim, a vision which leads the community and each individual member out of every day life into a higher realm and purpose.
 
In the congregations of the Christian Community the chalice, filled with the juice of the vine is the visible centre of our hopefully freely formed  congregations.  The chalice on the alter is the ultimate centre of the whole movement of religious renewal and all its activities.  It is the centre of the Act of Consecration and thus the centre of all sacraments.  It makes visible the being, that is living in the centre, the being of the Christ.  Can there ever be a more powerful, future orientated and strong centre than the chalice filled with the transformed juice of the vine standing on an altar, waiting to be shared with all. I AM THE TRUE VINE, YOU ARE THE BRANCHES.  With these words the Christ speaks in the centre of our movement all the time, forming a truely free, strong and unconquerable community which is independent of family, nation or country.
 
Christine Voigts