stephen R Harrison

JOY 365: Day 15

Make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. -Philippians 2:2

One of my good friends retired from the Army. Every time he meets another person who served, they’re fast friends. He can carry on a conversation for hours with strangers because of their mutual service. As special as that bond is, it is not eternal. There is a greater bond that is available to everyone. I’ll never be able to have that connection with another in military service, as it’s too late for me to enlist. Brothers and sisters in the Christian faith have an eternal bond through Christ that anyone, at any time, from anywhere can experience. We can have a lot in common with others, but nothing joins the hearts of the most extreme opposites like Jesus. 

In the last 48 hours, I’ve met with 21 church planting brothers from Brazil, Colombia, Haiti, Cuba, and several other countries. Although we had never met, lived in different parts of the world, and had varying cultures, we were fast friends because Christ was our bond. As the Apostle Paul said, we were “like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind” (Philippians 2:2). Paul said this made his “joy complete”. We talked about our salvation, those we were sharing Christ with, the fun and challenges of pastoring, and much more about Jesus. This made us share, laugh, praise, give thanks, rejoice, and at times cry. Our commonality of brotherhood was Jesus. He had saved us all! He tears down walls and unites hearts. The sacred bond that transcends camaraderie, age, culture, and background also overcomes loneliness, division, and conflict. It is only found through the unifying power of Jesus’ gospel!

How are you cultivating the sacred bond of brotherhood/sisterhood?