I was nervous that morning. It was our first Sunday service at our old church after being away for more than a year. So much had happened since we'd been gone, both in our lives and the church. I wondered if things had changed too much. If I had changed too much. Would we still have things in common? Most of these were random thoughts running through my mind as we got ready and left for church.
But as we entered the premises, saw the familiar faces, met and chatted with old friends and exchanged bits of news, I felt a peace steal over me; we were home and it was lovely to be back. Yet I knew that there was a subtle difference. It was like God was calling me deeper. He didn't want me to settle down to living the same old life.
I'm grateful for my lovely friend who gave the message that morning. She spoke on Jeremiah 9:23 – 24 – the verse God gave me at the beginning of this year.
"Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, exercising loving-kindness, judgement, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,” says the Lord.”
God told me, then, that my greatest treasure will be knowing Him and that Sunday morning, He reaffirmed it. What made it more beautiful was the fact that as one family, one body of Christ, one Church, we were seeking God together. Not for any thing that He could give us, but to know Him more intimately.
As we took communion together, the familiar words - “Do this in remembrance of Me” took on a special significance. And it struck me that this is what “community” means – the common unity that binds us to each other is knowing the triune God. And all who seek to know God become a part of this community.
Such a community is not formed based on gender, age, income-level, language, race, doctrine, denomination or any other distinction. All are welcome and all can be a part of this community. That is how God sees us. And that is how we should see those around us. Instead of erecting more barriers to distinguish ourselves from the rest of mankind, we need to realise that in loving and seeking the only true God, we have the one criteria in common that truly matters in terms of eternity.
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