A couple of years ago I wrote a column about Barnabas, an important figure in the Acts of the Apostles. He served as a bridge between disciples of Jesus in the young Church by helping others see how God was active and how his action could be trusted. Barnabas encouraged others to trust in the presence of God — in one another.
Acts tells us that his original name was Joseph. He was a Levite, born in Cyprus. He had sold a piece of property and laid the proceeds at the feet of the apostles. They gave him the name Barnabas, which means “son of encouragement.” (see Acts 4:36) It was a fitting name, for that is what Barnabas became to his fellow disciples.
Paul begins the second letter to the Corinthians with a brief teaching on true encouragement and its origin in Christ. The passage is worth reflection:
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and God of all encouragement, who encourages us in our every affliction, so that we may be able to encourage those who are in any affliction with the encouragement with which we ourselves are encouraged by God. For as Christ’s sufferings overflow to us, so through Christ does our encouragement also overflow. If we are afflicted, it is for your encouragement and salvation; if we are encouraged, it is for your encouragement, which enables you to endure the same sufferings that we suffer. Our hope for you is firm, for we know that as you share in the sufferings, you also share in the encouragement. (2 Corinthians 1:3-7)
Paul’s understanding of the Church as Christ’s body is ever-present: he sees that everything comes from Christ, and that all members of the Church share both Christ’s sufferings and his consolation. When we suffer, it is Christ who suffers; when we are encouraged, it is Christ’s encouragement within us. The bond believers have with one another because of Christ — the bond Barnabas understood well — is real, tangible and powerfully present in our lives.
It seems to me that encouragement is one of the most Christian of deeds. Offering encouragement to one another is a way to share the strength that comes from Jesus, a way we make visible the bond that Jesus is between us. It also gives concrete witness to our recognition that we are all in the same boat, and that we are to strengthen and support one another constantly.
In a little treatise titled “Serenity of Heart: Bearing the Troubles of This Life,” St. Francis de Sales comments that “we should behave like people who walk on ice. For these … take each other by the hand or under the arms, so that if one of them slips, the other may hold him up, and that other, when he in his turn is on the point of falling, may be held up by his friend.” It’s an interesting homespun analogy that illustrates the role we are called to play in one other’s lives.
Encouragement is not difficult to offer, and a little goes a long way. We can lift children’s spirits by saying “Way to go” when they have accomplished — or almost accomplished — a simple task. Smiles fill their faces, and the smiles translate into confidence the next time they make the attempt. The dynamic is not much different the older we get. Writing a simple note of prayerful support, lending an open ear, overlooking someone’s embarrassing blunder, inquiring about the suffering of a family member — these things give heart and strength. Everyone needs a stable hand on the slippery ice.
Just as adults can offer encouragement to little ones, so can little ones encourage their elders, without even knowing it. Smiles, embraces and a simple “I love you” can make us stand tall with self-assurance and peace. My mother once made an extra birthday cake for one of my nieces, and she told me later that the look of delight on my niece’s face made her day.
At times a gesture of encouragement not only makes one’s day — it can make one’s life. We never know fully what is in another’s heart, and our encouragement today might be just what he or she needs to muster courage to take the next step toward a life of peace, fulfillment and prosperity.
Encouragement also comes in surprising, even challenging forms. I remember several instances when astute advisors gave me just the kick I needed to meet a deadline or fulfill a responsibility. Their encouragement stung, but it was wise and well-timed. Likewise, there are times when even those who seem to be working against us can unwittingly provide encouragement by giving us the opportunity to examine the anger or resentment they evoke in us. They can be our teachers, if we humbly look within and ask how we should change.
The source of true, life-changing encouragement is Jesus, whose encouragement we share with one another. With him we can scale any wall, with him we can meet any challenge.
We should be models of encouragement
