A couple of weeks ago, a moment from the Artemis II mission quietly captured the attention of millions. During a live interaction, astronaut Jeremy Hansen suggested naming a bright spot on the moon “Carol,” in honour of the late wife of Reid Wiseman. What followed wasn’t staged. It wasn’t rehearsed. It was real.
The crew paused… broke down… and embraced.
In a field known for composure and precision, they let their guard down—and that’s exactly what made the moment powerful. Not just because of the grief, but because of how it was shared. Grief has a way of isolating us. It convinces us to carry things quietly, internally, alone. But moments like this remind us of something deeper: what we carry becomes more bearable when it’s held together.
Scripture puts it simply: “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2). That’s not just a suggestion—it’s a picture of what Christian community is meant to look like.
As followers of Jesus, we often think of discipleship in terms of purpose, calling, and mission. And those things matter. But sometimes we overlook how that mission is lived out. Jesus didn’t send people out alone. He sent them together. He built relationships, not just responsibility.
Because there are moments in life that are simply too heavy to process by yourself. Moments of loss. Moments of doubt. Moments where words don’t come easily, but the weight is undeniable. And in those moments, ministry doesn’t look like having the right answers. It looks like presence. It looks like someone choosing to stay. It looks like quiet support in the middle of something hard. That’s partnership. Not just working side by side—but walking side by side.
In a city like Vancouver, where life moves quickly and people often carry silent struggles, this kind of community matters. Not surface-level connection, but something deeper. A willingness to share both the highs and the lows. The wins we celebrate and the burdens we’d rather hide.
Because sometimes the most Christlike thing we can do isn’t to fix what someone is going through—It’s to be there while they go through it. This is the way of Jesus. He meets us in our brokenness, walks with us through it, and carries what we could never bear on our own. And having experienced that kind of love, He calls us to live it out. To be present. To walk alongside. To carry one another.
We’re in this together—not just to get through life, but to grow into the likeness of the One who walks with us.