I think it is also necessary to send Epaphroditus to you. He is my brother, coworker, and fellow soldier; and he is your representative who serves my needs. He misses you all, and he was upset because you heard he was sick. In fact, he was so sick that he nearly died. But God had mercy on him—and not just on him but also on me, because his death would have caused me great sorrow. Therefore, I am sending him immediately so that when you see him again you can be glad and I won’t worry. So welcome him in the Lord with great joy and show great respect for people like him. He risked his life and almost died for the work of Christ, and he did this to make up for the help you couldn’t give me. (Philippians 2:25-30, CEB)
Here we see Paul writing, to the Philippians, about a shared friend, Epaphroditus. He was once part of the community Paul is writing to and was sent to Paul, probably with a letter. And at some point, Epaphroditus got sick, so sick he almost died. This would have caused great sorrow for the Philippians and Paul.
They cared for Epaphroditus. And so did Paul. If he had died, they would have felt that loss. They cared for him, as family. He was part of the community and would have been missed.
Do we care for others in our communities this way?
Would they be missed?
How can we better care for the members of our communities?
aSacredRebel 