They say that necessity is the mother of invention.  Clearly, the pandemic has challenged our resourcefulness.  Many people who were blissfully unaware of Zoom and other video conferencing platforms learned all about the need for consistent broadband capacity.  A lot of people (and churches!) had to make their networks more reliable and wider to reach that corner of the house that was converted to a temporary office or classroom.

In the never-ending quest to support live streaming at church, I have been experimenting with wireless repeaters to get our WIFI signal to the places we need it without stringing cable everywhere.  In doing so, I noticed something about the way the repeaters work.

The best ones become invisible once they are set up and connected to the existing network.  They don’t advertise their presence as separate entity; they just make the existing network appear to have grown larger.

I think that’s the role of the church too.  Our purpose is to embody the Spirit of Christ in the world.  Our job is not to draw attention to ourselves, but to make Christ manifest wherever we might be.  Every act of love; every welcoming embrace; every fearless stand for justice and truth is God at work in the world.

Wherever you may be, whatever you might be doing, remember that you are an access point that allows others to connect with Christ.

And don’t forget, this is not a one-way network!  You are encountering Christ in others all the time too.  We are transmitters and receivers.

Prayer:  Holy One, dwell in me; radiate your love and truth through me.  When I have a weak signal, draw me closer.  Amen.