The metaphor of the Christian faith represented by the wheel was influential for Dorotheos of Gaza and the order to which he belonged. God is the hub. Each of us serves as a spoke, connected to God at the hub and connected to the world at the rim. With a limited knowledge of physics, Dorotheos focused on the movement along the spokes toward the hub – as we draw closer to God, we draw closer to one another. Many spokes connected the hub added to the overall integrity and stability of the wheel.

But what about a wheel in motion? While Dorotheos never goes down this road, I have never been able to think of the metaphor of the wheel apart from both centripetal force as well as centrifugal force. Centripetal force generates energy from the direction of the movement toward the center. Faith is always active, never passive. By aligning our energy and efforts toward prayer, worship, study, reflection, acts of mercy and service, we move closer and closer to God.

But centrifugal force moves energy from the center to the edge. As we move closer and closer to God, God’s Holy Spirit generates unlimited force for the transformation of the world. The faster the wheel turns, the greater the force for motion and progress.

Dorotheos struggled with a faith designed to benefit the believer with no outward and visible signs in the world. Dorotheos readily accepted the benefits of faith in God through Christ, but he emphasized the responsibilities of our faith over our rights and entitlements of faith. Going to heaven was not as important as creating heaven on earth for others to enjoy. Good health was of secondary importance to working for the healing of others. Defending one’s honor was less important than protecting and defending the dignity of others. Commitment to the common good always supersedes individual interests and desires. Everything we do with and for God empowers and enables us to be the body of Christ for the world.

Modern Western culture tends toward the individualistic and often selfish. Sadly, much Western Christianity suffers the same tendency. One reality first century Palestinians embraced was the absolute need and necessity of community for survival. The concept that we need each other not only to survive but to thrive is lost on so many of us today.

As we prepare hearts and minds for Christmas through this Advent season, how much are we concerned with our own hopes, needs, dreams, and desires, versus how much we are concerned with what is good and beautiful and beneficial and grace-filled for others? How do our relationships with God and others propel us to merciful, compassionate, peaceful, and just behaviors in the world? How can we open ourselves to God’s guidance in the Holy Spirit to move us from “me” thinking to “we” thinking?