For me the point of the story is: when life knocks us down, or maybe an incident paralyzes us, we need someone to hold us up, or in this case, break the ceiling, giving us access to Jesus. The roof was lifted so someone could have access to Jesus. As faith communities, we need to keep doing more of that.
Bob Smietana, in his book “Reorganized Religion; The Reshaping of the American Church and Why it Matters,” writes that we are called to practice surrogate faith for a world that has lost it. I see a beautiful parallel when a carload of volunteers from Kalispell, Montana, or a van load from Wichita, Kansas, and a busload from Holmes County, Ohio respond, rebuild and restore someone shrouded by fear and loss – and just maybe – restoring them to faith.
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