It’s August, y’all!
In Texas, we lovingly(?) refer to that as Hell’s Front Porch.
I won’t dwell on that any longer.
This morning’s hymn text got my ponderer ignited.
I couldn’t begin to count how many small churches I’ve been in that sang the chorus of “The Family of God.” (It may happen in large churches, but I think it’s more common in the small ones).
When I started looking for an image to use with those words, my mind went to a jigsaw puzzle.
True confession: I HATE jigsaw puzzles. Let me correct that—I HATE putting them together.
I realize some families enjoy that. There are members of my family that enjoy that. It may take days or weeks to complete. The in-process puzzle sits on display on a table beckoning (or, in my case, taunting) someone to come and sit for awhile.
I usually try to find one piece that fits somewhere. Once I’ve managed that, my contribution is complete.
Now that I’ve confessed my disdain for putting puzzles together, I’ll tell you what I love about the puzzle as metaphor for the family of God.
The family of God is not a completed, frameable art piece. It’s a messy jumble of beautiful puzzle pieces always in process of finding points of connection to create something that cannot be displayed individually.
It serves as a reminder that life in God’s family can be messy, complicated, and sometimes perplexing, but we need each other to complete the picture that God intends to display in the world.
Along the same line of thought, I was struck by this passage from today’s reading in 1 Corinthians:
“Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you? God will destroy anyone who destroys this temple. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple” (1 Corinthians 3:16-17).
Read these verses slowly. Now notice these words: “ALL of you TOGETHER” (emphasis mine).
Where does God live? Where is the place where His glory shows most brightly?
It is IN His people when they are living together AS His people. We’ve gotta stop messing that up with our petty squabbling. And, yes, much of our squabbling is petty.
How do you measure pettiness? It’s tough, but here’s a clue—are we willing to listen to someone who sees from a different viewpoint and entertain the possibility that they might have something of value to contribute?
Or do we double down on our right to be heard and the superiority of our own opinions?
Do we, by implication, call into question the faithfulness of other members of the family of God because their approach differs from ours?
Do we recognize that those who are not yet part of the family are watching how we treat each other? And imagining how we’ll treat them?
The Apostle Paul wrote 1 Corinthians to a messed up church. They had a lot of issues, but the very first issue he chose to address was how immature they were, as evidenced by their petty squabbling.
Friends, we must recognize how much we need all those other puzzle pieces so that God’s glory is displayed through what He’s doing among us.
Be amazing today, my friend.
