This picture would be funny, if it weren’t so sad. Those who don’t know Jesus are being repulsed by the very vessel God created to carry His message of love and salvation – the Church, an organization that is both insane and a stroke of genius at the same time.
God formed a new family from people of all social, economic, educational and cultural backgrounds. He even threw in natural enemies! He the asked this new family, who under normal circumstances couldn’t stand to be in the same room with each other, to love each other. It’s so insane that it could change the world! From a human perspective, God is asking the impossible. Yet that is the stroke of genius. From a divine perspective, it was entirely possible.
This coming Saturday is the Feast of Shavuot or Pentecost. On this day, two yeast filled loaves of bread were waved before God. They were a symbol for two very different groups of people brought together to form one group (Ephesians 2:11-22). This group was to pull in the same direction together as unit. That is the impossible task.
Also on this day, the Holy Spirit came to live inside every believer. We all have challenges (i.e. bread with yeast a symbol of sin) and we all need each other to overcome those challenges. It will take an act of God to make this happen, which is exactly what God was counting on. As we walk in the Spirit’s power together towards Jesus, the world will know it is a supernatural act.
Let’s be real. We all have problems. We all need each other to overcome them. Let’s count on the Spirit to help us love each other in such a way that those around us will see Jesus. Remember, we don’t come to church perfect, we come to church to become perfect.