Perched On A Branch
John Miller
03/30/20
- Windstream Mail
R E F L E C T I O N S Thoughts on nature and the Christian faith - 3/30/20 ______________________________________________________________________ "Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God." - Rom. 15:7 |
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Our house is nestled in the woods with very little yard surrounding it, so it was quite a surprise to see this little fellow on our property. Certain birds frequent the woodlands and certain birds frequent the open fields and rarely do the two kinds venture far from their home territory. Eastern bluebirds love open spaces and are rarely found in the forest so seeing this male perched on a branch in our woods was an unusual sight. What fascinated me was seeing how the birds we are accustomed to seeing treated this stranger in their territory. They all welcomed him completely as if he were one of their own. Birds of a feather may flock together but they can also welcome others different than themselves. There is a lot we can learn from these birds. Why is Sunday one of the most racially segregated days of the week? Why do members of one denomination feel estranged when visiting another church? Why are some Christians censured when questioning the distinctive beliefs or practices of the church they attend? Why do political views divide Christians from Christians? In other words, why can't we welcome one another the same way Christ has welcomed us? There is, of course, a nonnegotiable core of beliefs that all Christians must adhere to if we want to call ourselves Christians, but that core of what we hold in common has nothing to do with the secondary issues that all too often divide us. Christ has accepted us in spite of who we are as long as we trust in who he is. We are justified by grace alone through faith alone because of Christ alone. And here is the fact we need to remember, if we accept others on this basis alone, God will be glorified. And, I think, the world will start to take notice. - John
