For the first couple of days that I was in Kenya again, I was able to go to a retreat for missionary women. It was quite a reverse culture shock for me to be surrounded by English-speaking women, eating chocolate, having a pedicure, making cards, and listening to a speaker! It was a wonderful time of fellowship and a wonderful refreshment for the ladies. They pour themselves out constantly and they rarely get a break! They work in difficult environments and they cherish the little pieces of home that come with the women’s retreat.
It was encouraging to me to be around the incredibly real, down-to-earth women at the retreat. I had come from Tanzania where there were people from three separate continents together, working for the Lord. I felt such unity in Christ—like we were close simply because of our relationships with Jesus. This connection was not surprising though because we are all a part of the same family now. It was wonderful to come from that fellowship right into another, different community of believers. These women came from all over Kenya and maybe other parts of Africa. I was able to feel the unity of Christ in both settings—the Tanzanian Bush and the Kenyan retreat center.
The unity of the Body of Christ doesn’t change, whether you’re in the Bush of Tanzania, the more advanced places of Kenya, or in the privileged country of the United States. We are children of God and we are connected through the blood of Christ.
I wonder if we remember that when we interact with our brothers and sisters in Christ. I wonder if we are aware of the strong bonds that we possess. Do we take advantage of them by encouraging each other, building each other up in our faith? Or do we consider Jesus’ death to be so meaningless? Powerless? No. It unites us beyond culture, beyond location or circumstance, beyond personality or opinion. And God had called us to Unity, Peace, Encouragement, Love, Grace, Joy, and Bearing with one another. Let us not waste the precious time we have. But let us remember our kinship and our Father, who sacrificed more than we can comprehend to give us access to His Power, Love, Community, and Inheritance. We do not walk this road alone but together.
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more, as you see the day drawing near.
Hebrews 10:23-25
He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
1 Thessalonians 5:10-11
You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Galatians 3:26-29
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