Home » Thoughts for the Week » Called to be a ligament (23 June)

Called to be a ligament (23 June)

Recently, I was trying to think of a good metaphor to describe what the relationships in a church family should be like and what came to mind was ligaments.

A ligament is a fibrous connective tissue which attaches bone to bone, and usually serves to hold structures together and keep them stable.

The elasticity of a ligament means that bones can be held together but that the joint where they meet can be flexible. A ligament can hold solid structures together and it can provide stability and we are called to do these things in the way we related to one another.

Paul writes; From Christ the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work (Ephesians 4 v16)

Each one of us has an essential role in the Body of Christ to be a part of making the seven areas outlined in this verse a reality in our relationships:

At a time when many people feel disconnected, we are called to help people  feel joined as we make connections with one another.

At a time when many people feel that things are difficult and unpredictable, we are called to form reliable and meaningful friendships where we are flexible as we hold to those relationships even when things feel stretched.

At a time when many people are hurting we should be offering meaningful support.

The body of Christ can only move, grow and be built up if ligaments work correctly.                  

Love should be at the core of who we are and all that we do. Will we be people of grace, stretching to make relationships work? Whilst we should be willing to be flexible though we should remember that ligaments can only stretch so far and that if they snap or rupture then healing will take a long time where the ligament cannot be used. We need to be wise about when we are nearing breaking point

Ligaments work effectively in groups. For example, there are four major ligaments in the knee and between them they allow the knee to move backwards and forwards and to rotate whilst providing stability. None of these four ligaments can hold the bones together and allow full movement by themselves, the knee only works if the ligaments are all connected! Are there times when things reach a breaking point because we haven’t involved others?

• What does it mean for you to be a ligament in the way you relate to others?
• Can you think of any other metaphors to describe what the relationships in a church family should be like?