At the outset of the COVID pandemic, we thought it was a safe practice to self-isolate for 14 days after we had returned from our overseas trip to China. That quarantine period gave us some extra family time and together we watched a couple of movies we did not expect to: Contagion (2011) and Train to Busan (2016). Certain themes emerged as we contemplatively discussed and reflected after watching the movies: interdependence, sinfulness, love, and self-sacrifice.
The whole human race is more interconnected than we could imagine. That is even more so with the body of Christ, “if one part suffers, every part suffers with it.” (1 Cor 12:26a) Sinfulness and self-centredness often contribute to a certain extent, if not solely, to the suffering of others. The apostle Paul then said the only solution is love for it is the greatest among all (1 Cor 13:13). With love, it leads naturally to sacrifice for others as Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (Jn 15:13)
Given the many challenges and dire situations facing us: natural disasters, outbreak of diseases, homelessness and so on, may we learn to embrace one another in love by bearing each other’s burdens, encouraging one another to walk in the light of God, and upholding others in prayers.
In the new year, so as to create an impetus for prayerfulness and live out “carrying each other’s burdens”, we encourage you to pray regularly for brothers and sisters of the church, its various ministries and missional endeavours, and the needs of our society and the world. To foster this habit, we will provide you from March with a prayer calendar at the beginning of each month. So when you do your daily devotions or Bible reading, you can intercede for others knowing that many in CPC could be doing the same on that particular day. Besides, in response to this initiative, we will move the combined prayer meeting to the first Wednesday of each month as opposed to the last Wednesday of the month which has been the practice for some time.
“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” (Gal 6:2)