We can all live together!

I was having breakfast with some freinds this morning, and noticed this very interesting tree out in the yard. This type of flowering tree is common around Asia, but this one is different. Instead of just of one color, there are many (I counted at least four colors).

What an interesting feat! The horticulturalist who grew this tree had to start with a particular tree stock and then patiently grafted in many different colored branches into the stock. I find it interesting that not only did he graft in the different colors, but he did so in many different places, multiple times.

I remarked to my table mates and Larisha commented, "That's an illustration of the body of Christ. " How true! As I travel around Asia and different parts of the world, I come in contact with many different cultures, ethnic origins and races. Yet when grafted into Christ, we can live together. My "preacher brain" wanted to make a 3 point sermon out of it:

• We can grow together as long as we are all connected to the primary stock of the tree. Jesus said, "no branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine." We can live together but only if the Lord is our source of life. Growing together does not come naturally. It will only work if we are connected to the primary source of our life, Christ Himself.
• We must be grafted in. We are not naturally part of the Kingdom. Paul remarked that all non-Jewish Christians can only participate in God's Kingdom because God graciously chose to graft us into a new tree.
• Even after we are grafted in, we maintain our special identity. This blesses me! I become a part of God's Kingdom, I draw my spiritual and community life from Him, yet He does it in such a way that I maintain my unique identity as His creation. I am not lost in an anonymous ocean of nothingness.
  

Last update: 06-15-2008 23:03