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Pastor and author Chris Brauns unpacks the biblical concept of solidarity, that one person can represent many and that our lives are interconnected with the choices others make. In Bound Together, Brauns explains how this truth---which raises questions of fairness and justice---is necessary to fully understand our salvation in Christ.
About the author
Chris Brauns, MDiv, DMin, is the senior pastor at the Congregational Christian Church of Stillman Valley, IL. His other books include Unpacking Forgiveness and When the Word Leads Your Pastoral Search. www.chrisbrauns.com
Summary
We are not just isolated individuals. Instead, our lives are woven together with others. We have solidarity with other people—the choices one person makes affects the lives of others, for good and for bad.
Because much of the pain we endure in life is in the context of relationships, this truth often strikes us as unfair. Why should a child suffer because of the choices of his parents? And on a grander scale, why do we all suffer the curse of Adam’s sin? Why should anyone be judged for someone else’s sin?
In Bound Together, Chris Brauns unpacks the truth that we are bound to one another and to the whole of creation. He calls this, “the principle of the rope.” Grasping this foundational principle sheds new light on marriage, the dynamics of family relationships, and the reason why everyone lives with the consequences of the sins that others commit. Brauns shows how the principle of the rope is both bad news and good news, revealing a depth to the message of the gospel that many of us have never seen before.
