2 Peter 1:16-21

2 Peter 1:16-21
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

  Here we find the challenge of Christianity -- it's something that we do on our own, peering into the darkness to find the light, paying attention so as not to get distracted by the reflections and mirages that drag our attention away.  At the same time, it's a communal effort, when we join with one another to discern what the prophets had to say, to hear what Scripture has to say to us today.  If we do this on our own, it's easy to creep away from the truth, because there is no one to correct you, no one to challenge newfangled ideas you might come up with.
  So we do this together.  I've been thinking a lot lately about the child who ended up in the gorilla enclosure at the zoo.  It's so easy to get distracted, and I'm as guilty as any parent of turning my attention for two seconds and turning back to find an empty place where my energetic child once was.  In times like these, I'm grateful to have a spouse or friend who has corralled my child before they make it into the parking lot or other space.
  Faith works the same way.  We often have rough days or weeks, and in these times it is so good to have someone come alongside us and remind us of where we need to have our energy focused, of the central importance of Christ in our lives.  We have individual responsibilities, but we also are joined together.