We would be remiss to make it all the way through our series on spiderwebs and not talk about the most famous spider of all time, Charlotte!
This story is such a good tale of friendship and provides a perfect platform for us to wrap up Spinning Webs.
In the classic, Mrs. Arable, the mother of Fern, the daughter who befriends the animals and has a special connection to Wilbur and a very big part in keeping him alive, shares this line early on in the discovery of the mysterious messages in the web of Charlotte. “I don’t understand it, and I don’t like what I don’t understand.”
Can you relate? This defines us as humans, really. It has been our plight since the beginning, and it continues to be our greatest downfall. But why is this an issue?
Uncertainty dissolves unity. AKA – Division.
We shy away from things we don’t understand. They are a threat to us and anything that is a threat to us, we naturally shy away from, push back against, avoid, protest, and even hate.
Our lack of understanding drives us to develop certain prejudices and the biggest reason is fear. Mrs. Arable speaks for all of us when she says that she doesn’t like what she doesn’t understand and what she really means is that the unknown is scary because it threatens her (our) sense of control.
We like to have a firm grasp on our world and steer clear of the things that are beyond our reach. Where or with whom do you find this struggle?
For the religious people in scripture, Jesus was this wild card. They didn’t understand Him, therefore they didn’t like Him. His methods and message seemed completely foreign to them and posed a genuine threat to their infrastructure as a people. There was no way they were going to let a threat of this magnitude derail their entire operation. Their fear ended up putting Jesus to death, the One sent to save them.
The hope of Charlotte’s Web is in the breaking down barriers that prevent us from overcoming differences, that rewrites the story of humanity filled with division into a peaceful, amicable, relationally equitable, unified group of varying individuals. (Charlotte and Wilbur; Wilbur and Fern)
This is also the message of Christ.
The enemy’s mission is to “steal, kill, and destroy” and division is a perfect platform to see that happen (John 10:10). So, if the enemy can keep people divided, then he has succeeded in robbing people of relationship, killing joy, and destroying all hope of reconciliation. Then, we end up with a lie that says: People suck, so screw them; it’s everyone is for themselves.
Adam and Eve fell prey to the enemy’s schemes because they feared what they DIDN’T know and COULDN’T understand, good from evil. It led them down a path of destruction that led to a world divided.
Jesus came to restore the world to right relationship. Jesus says he came to give us life to the full (John 10:10). And in Luke 2:52, we read the way he developed and matured, “in wisdom and in stature and in FAVOR with God and man.” And Paul issues a directive that says to make every effort (as far as it depends on you) to live at peace with everyone (Romans 12:18).
So, between you and whom is their enmity?
With whom do you have beef?
With what people group do you struggle to understand?
Is there someone (or someones) that you cringe at the thought of interaction with?
How is the unknown speaking fear and causing strife for you?
What would it look like to move toward wholeness in that very place?
What is ONE thing you can do to move from fear to familiarity in that scary unknown?
What is God asking you to do today, in order to restore that which is broken?
If it were all up to you, what can you do to live more at peace with those whom you have conflict or there is fear?
May you and I see the writing on the wall (or in this case – in the spiderwebs) that life in Christ is TERRIFIC, that God has created us to be RADIANT, and the best way forward and to create unity is with a HUMBLE attitude.
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