The Disciple Barnabas


We will celebrate our Patronal Feast this Sunday in honor of St. Barnabas, who our foremothers and fathers choose to name their community after.  Often, such a decision is made due to the date in which a building is dedicated, as I believe was the case with the original St. Barnabas back on June 11, 1872. And yet I believe the Spirit moves through these events and allows the community to embody the essence of their patron and live into a new identity in their life in Christ.

We are not sure how Barnabas knew of Jesus, as he was originally from Cyrus, but he soon became an important part of the early church, zealously sharing his resources, both material and spiritual. Barnabas was given that name by the church leaders because it means “son of encouragement,” which is exactly what Barnabas did for Paul and many others.

Like Barnabas, we claim the identity of a disciple of Christ. We learn to share what we know about our teacher and savior, Jesus, with others, as well as continue to learn how to live as a faithful Christian in the world.  It makes complete sense to me that a community intended to encourage one another in our faith and life in Christ should be named after Barnabas!

While the Church has canonized Barnabas as a saint (and please note that as far as the Episcopal Church is concerned, ALL believers are saints), he himself would probably balk at the idea of being set apart as special.  Barnabas never sought the lime-light, never wanted glory for himself.  His work was to support others in their work and ministry by making their burdens lighter to carry and loving them as Christ loved us. 

This is particularly true in how Barnabas supported Saul, later called Paul, after his miraculous conversion on the road to Damascus.  It was Barnabas that went to work with Saul in Antioch when, seemingly, no one else in the Early Church trusted him – and not without reason.  But Barnabas choose to believe that Jesus could change the heart of anyone, including Saul.  And so he went to Saul and took care of him.

The Church owes Barnabas a huge debt of gratitude for doing this, because without it, Paul would have never been able to become the great evangelist he was.  Yet we know that Barnabas didn’t offer his love in order to be thanked, but to share the love he had from Jesus Christ.

How can we, as members of both Christ’s Church and the community named after Barnabas, dare to love so zealously that others might think we are crazy?  Loving those deemed unlovable is exhausting work, but that is where we are to be.  It is a poignant reminder to me that NO ONE is beyond the redemptive love of Jesus.  Like Barnabas, I must be willing to show up and offer it freely.

So let’s celebrate Barnabas for his great example as well as the challenge his faithfulness invites, for Christ’s sake.  Let’s be encouraging to those who we know and those we don’t, to those we think are deserving and those we might feel are not. 

Be Encouraged and Be Encouraging!

In the Spirit of Truth,
Rev. Valerie+

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