Here’s a story from the Gospel of Mark, chapter 9, that feels like it could have happened just today. John, one of Jesus’ disciples, ran to him with a complaint. Someone was helping others—what people then described as driving out demons—and doing it in Jesus’ name.  The problem was that this person wasn’t part of Jesus’ group, so John and his friends tried to stop them. “They’re not one of us,” they said.

Expecting Jesus to praise them for protecting “the brand”, they were surprised when, instead, Jesus told them to let it go. After all, Jesus said, someone acting in his name couldn’t turn right around and speak against him. Then he said words that have echoed for centuries: “Whoever is not against us is for us.”

This story challenges us today. How do we respond to people who care for others, work for justice, or live out their faith—but do it differently than we do? Do we ignore them, compete with them, or try to stop them? Jesus’ answer is simple but radical: recognize the good in others, even when it comes from outside your circle. 

And we’re not just talking about faith communities. Conflicts in families, neighborhoods, nations, and around the world often start just because we draw strict lines between “us” and “them.” Yet Jesus calls us to focus on what we share rather than what separates us.

The theologian William Barclay once said that true tolerance comes from recognizing that we can never fully know God’s truth. Our perspective is limited; our understanding always incomplete. Accepting our limits frees us to celebrate the good we see in others —­ even when it flows from a different path, a different denomination, or even a different faith.

Barclay’s insight invites us to hold our convictions firmly, but never arrogantly. It reminds us that God’s truth is larger than any one of us can contain. When we realize that, we begin to see allies where we once saw rivals, and partners where we once drew boundaries.

This story reminds us that doing good together matters more than who belongs to which group. It challenges us to act with humility and openness, to see God’s work in unexpected places, and to appreciate the ways people—inside and outside our circles—bring love into the world.
Whose side are you on?  Turns out goodness itself knows no sides.

What do you say to someone who’s hurting? Often, we reach for familiar sayings that sound biblical: words we hope will comfort. But many of these sayings don’t actually come from the Bible at all. And while they sound encouraging, they can sometimes miss the heart of the hope God really gives.

One of the most common is: “God never gives you more than you can handle.” It sounds comforting, as if God is carefully measuring out the good and the bad and making sure nothing tips the scale too far. But the truth is, that line isn’t in the Bible. And if we’re honest, most of us know that life sometimes does give us far more than we can handle.

Illness. Grief. Financial stress. Broken relationships. These things can leave us wondering how we’ll ever make it through. Even Paul, one of the most important leaders in the early church, admitted that at one point he was “under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure…so that we despaired of life itself” (2 Corinthians 1:8). In other words, he was overwhelmed. What Paul discovered, though, was that when life is too much for us, we don’t have to face it alone. God is ready to carry us, steady us, and give us strength we can’t find on our own.

Another familiar saying is, “God helps those who help themselves.” But that’s not from the Bible—it’s from Benjamin Franklin. And while hard work has its value, Jesus taught something very different: God helps those who cannot help themselves.

The danger with this saying is that it can make people think God only helps the strong, or that if we’re struggling, it must be because we’re not trying hard enough. But the Bible tells us just the opposite. God’s love and help—God’s grace— isn’t a reward for getting our lives in order—it’s a gift for when we can’t.

God’s grace and presence isn’t always easy to see. We may feel God’s presence in moments of peace or wonder, but in life’s struggles, it can be harder to recognize. Often, it comes through the hands and voices of others—a friend checking in, a neighbor bringing a meal, a stranger offering unexpected kindness. If God helps those who cannot help themselves, we are called to do the same. Your call, your listening ear, or a small act of kindness could be the very way God reminds someone they are not alone—and how grace keeps moving in the world.

So if life feels overwhelming, remember this: you don’t have to carry it alone. God is already with you, offering strength, steadiness, and grace for today. In the end, it’s not the familiar sayings that sustain us—it’s the living reality of God’s grace and presence, meeting us where we are and reminding us that we are never truly alone.