Unity can happen

This is a picture of my third child, Bryson, and his friend, Maurice, the nephew of our youth pastor. The two of them slowed down long enough for their picture to be taken the night our church family got together to decorate the worship center and lobby for Christmas. They weren't friends till that night, but they became instant buddies. Amazing, isn't it, how quickly two children can see beyond color (or other barriers) and only see someone as a potential new playmate.

I pray that my children are the generation that finally sees beyond color to the individual, accepting others as Christ taught us to do. Ephesians 4:3 says, "Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace." If the Church (those who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ) cannot accept others and keep the unity of the Spirit, how can we expect those outside of Christ to do so? We are called to be the example of breaking dividing walls, and I know we can do better.

The church I serve is working at breaking down those walls. We have people from all walks of life working, praying, and worshiping, side by side. (And in this picture, they are playing paint ball side by side. This is our youth pastor, Jonathan, and one of the youth leaders, Esther, at our paint ball outing). We are working toward a place where God feels "right at home" (Ephesians 2:22, Message).