Though I wasn’t the greatest academic student of it, I’ve always really loved science. I was awful at remembering the periodic table or doing well on written exams in school, but I loved learning about the world around me (still do). Much of that love had to do with observation. One of the things that fascinated me is how animals seem to know what to do almost from the moment they are born. A foal learns to stand, birds somehow know how to build nests, and creatures in the wild instinctively move toward survival. We understand, of course, that God created them with those instincts, but still, it is remarkable to watch.
Human beings, however, are different. Think of a newborn baby girl or boy. Left entirely alone, that child would not survive. I think about my little granddaughter and how, when I hold her in my arms, it is so clear that she needs us, not only to survive, but to flourish. Human beings require care, guidance, presence, and love. We are not made to navigate life in isolation. Even as adults, we may pretend otherwise, but deep down we still long for someone to walk with us.
That truth helps illuminate something beautiful about the words of Jesus. As children grow older, they may survive with instructions alone, but they flourish through the presence of those who love them. Jesus did not merely leave commandments behind like a departing manager leaving policy notes. He gave His Holy Spirit so believers would never walk alone in obeying Him.
“Jesus said, ‘If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.
I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.’”
—John 14:15–211
When Jesus prepared His disciples for His departure, He knew they would wrestle with fear, confusion, and loneliness. Yet He promised they would not be abandoned. Christ sent the Holy Spirit, our Comforter, to remain with us. At the same time, Jesus continued to call His followers toward obedience. He summarized God’s commands simply and profoundly: love God completely with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself. He even deepened this calling with a new commandment: “Love one another as I have loved you” (John 13:34). The Christian life, then, is not merely about following rules to survive; it is about truly living in the presence of Christ and reflecting His love into the lives of others.
Christianity is not Jesus saying, “Remember what I taught.” It is Jesus saying, “I am still with you.” That changes everything. In moments when life feels heavy, when grief lingers, when friendships fail, or when we feel forgotten, Christ has not abandoned His people. Through the Holy Spirit, His presence still comforts, convicts, guides, and strengthens us. And often, one of the ways God reminds us we are not alone is through the love and care of fellow believers who embody the compassion of Christ.
There may be seasons when you feel isolated or unseen. Yet today, you have access to our Risen Christ and to the Holy Spirit whom Jesus sent as our Comforter. Perhaps one of the simplest ways we can live this out is by loving one another as Christ loved the church, with patience, sacrifice, and kindness. In doing so, we become reminders to one another that no child of God walks alone. Know today that you are not forgotten. You are deeply loved, and there are many who call you blessed.
O God, you have prepared for those who love you such good things as surpass our understanding: Pour into our hearts such love towards you, that we, loving you in all things and above all things, may obtain your promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—Book of Common Prayer2
Luke Gambill 