Dear Amy,

What is the principle of reciprocity in relationship?

For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you⸺that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.

― Romans 1:11-12

Paul wrote these words to the Christians in Rome before he ever met them. Marvel at the warmth in his longing to see them, his desire to bless, and that they might share mutual encouragement, each to the other, even on meeting for the first time. Such is the love a Christian has for their brothers and sisters in Christ.

By now those on the DCBC youth mission trip will be with you, and some of these you may be meeting for the first time: Abigail, Alexia, Blake, Emma, Hannah, Jack, Zac, Taylor, and Aria (although I notice that one of these you have known for her whole life!). We have been praying for safety and travelling mercies and the richest of blessings, lifting you and them both up before our loving Heavenly Father. Now be encouraged, each to the other, by each other’s faith and every spiritual blessing in Christ. And have some fun together!

Reciprocity is about giving and receiving simultaneously, imparting blessing and being blessed, symmetrically and joyously together. Every relationship is deepened by this: husband and wife, parent and child, teacher and student, boss and employee, and most especially brother and sister in Christ.

Paul knew this, and even as he desired to bring blessing and teaching to those new Christians in Rome, he was anticipating receiving blessing and encouragement in return. The huge difference in maturity and degree of experience simply did not matter. How joyous is genuine Christian fellowship!

Whenever Christians come together, however, there is a potential barrier to such reciprocity in relationship, namely one taking the superior position, looking down on the other as somehow poorer or otherwise less than, to be solely the recipient rather than also the source of blessing. Let’s remind ourselves how Paul regarded Timothy to see how to avoid this.

Timothy was indeed young to be in Christian leadership, perhaps in his late 20s or early 30s, and there was a huge gulf between their levels of experience and capability. Paul was much older, was so much more highly educated, and ended up writing more than half of the New Testament, but see how highly he regarded Timothy.

For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. But you know Timothy’s proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel.

― Philippians 2:20-22

And his charge to Timothy himself:

Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.

― 1 Timothy 4:12

To finish, I cannot help myself from giving you the mathematical definition of a reciprocal: of a quantity or function, related to another so that their product is unity.

Be one, Amy, with your younger brothers and sisters in Christ, and may you bring blessing and encouragement each to the other! 🙏