Acts 15:22-29

Acts 15:22-29
English Standard Version (ESV)

  This is an interesting section to come upon in the day of fake news.  It seems like the last few months have been a desperate time for people to try and figure out what is really happening in the country and in the world.  We've known for a long time that no news source was completely unbiased, but it seems (to me at least) that there has been much greater emphasis on this topic lately, to the point where we wonder what the truth is and just how to find it in an age where too much information is far more likely than too little.
  The church in Antioch was faced with a similar situation.  They weren't sure what the faithful path to follow was, and they needed guidance.  In this case, the church sent Barsabbas/Judas and Silas to illumine they way.  They wanted these believers to have the best information, so they personally reached out to help guide their way.
  In our own lives, it may not personally affect us when we try and make decisions about some of the news articles.  But some of them matter to us, and in other times we need to make important decisions in our lives.  In these times, it's vital to lean into the church and let ourselves be led by the community.  The church should be willing to pray with one another, to listen and to discuss how the Spirit is at work among us, that we can make decisions informed not only by our own reading of Scripture and our own prayers, but also the witness of our faithful brothers and sisters in Christ, who are willing to dive in and help us discern just how God is on the move.
  Let us not struggle alone.  Rather, let us practice community by sharing our lives with one another and bearing one another's burdens.