Fellowship

Surprise visits are usually fun. If it’s an unexpected relative looking to crash for a month, perhaps not, but in general, they’re great! Yesterday, I had a surprise visit from someone I thought I’d never see again. How special it was to receive a phone call with an opportunity to connect. Our last meeting was in Pakistan, his world; this time around we met in my world. The unexpected nature of it made the visit all the better!

Fellowship with other believers from around the world is a very special thing. I use the word fellowship intentionally even though it feels a bit old fashioned. We don’t need to lose this word. It’s too vital for our faith. Fellowship is a close association and mutual sharing that for the Christian begins with Jesus. We have fellowship with Jesus, and it is our mutual relationship with Him that makes our pursuit of unity a non-negotiable (1 Corinthians 1:9-10). When I visit with Jesus followers from around the world our bond in Jesus tends to be palpable. With less culturally to muddle the view, Jesus comes to the forefront. I thank God for this reminder.

The greatest bond for any relationship (marriage, friendship, co-worker, et cetera) is the fellowship that comes through Jesus. The Holy Spirit empowers us to pursue unity with other Jesus followers when our allegiance lies with Christ. Fellowship in Christ is a big deal because it is the glue that maintains our unity. It’s important for those of us who come from a culture of “me” to make every effort to fight for the “we.”

Jesus is greater than our differences. We should live like this is so.

A significant number of life-giving relationships are with people who vary in some way from me. Our skin tone, generation, political view, or background is different, but Jesus is at the center. The work is worth it because it’s an opportunity to experience the privilege of fellowship in Christ. I love to spend time with sisters and brothers who see Jesus from a different angle. None of us have the complete view and no one has the complete grip on truth. We miss the beauty of God’s Word when we only consider it from our cultural lens.

Fellowship is at the core of our faith. Fellowship is an expression of our commitment to Jesus because it reveals the binding power of His Spirit. It grieves me when I hear of conflict amongst Christ followers and the ease by which we cut ties when things don’t go our way.

This year could be a contentious time if we let it. There will be a strong temptation to elevate political and cultural views over our fellowship in Christ. There is always the temptation to elevate our preferences over our fellowship in Christ. I pray that we make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:3). If Jesus is our pursuit, we can be different in every other way and still experience a depth of fellowship no other bond in this world can offer. If Jesus is it; Jesus is enough.