Wednesday 25 May 2011

Somebody to lean on ...

Bill Withers "Lean on me"
If you click on the line above you'll be taken to the song.

I'd forgotten about this song ... and it did make Number One back in 1972 and again in 1987 when recorded by Club Nouveau.  And it won a Grammy that same year!  Not many songs get to Number One on two occasion ... just nine hold that honour.
 It was this "vintage" picture for 365Project that prompted one of my viewers to quote a verse from "Lean on me", so I looked it up and found the above YouTube version.
The crutches, rarely seen anywhere in the world these days, were photographed in the early morning light today ... around six o'clock when I was about to take Eliot off for a walk.
Without intending to I sparked off some thinking on the need that we all have for support ... the value of friendship and the strength that we receive from God.  Human beings were never meant to "go it alone" and to be isolated ... each one "paddling his or her own canoe".
God designed us for relationships and community where each contributes gifts to build up one another.  The church is described as a "body" where one part depends on all of the other parts.
Each of us has times when we need to lean on others ... and then it becomes our "turn" to be the one on whom another may lean for support.
These crutches may be vintage and out of date but the concept of mutual support is very real.  Let's not be afraid to ask for help and not shy away from giving support either!

Help us to share in Christ's ministry
of love and service to one another;
through the same Jesus Christ our Lord,
who in the unity of the Holy Spirit
is one with you for ever.  Amen. 


Book of Common Prayer
Wednesday Daily Prayer

No comments: