walkthesame: Coming together as One Words by guest writer Haley MacPherson “For just as e
walkthesame: Coming together as One Words by guest writer Haley MacPherson “For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others (Romans 12:4-5).” Have you ever been to Maui? If you have, you might be familiar with the Banyan tree located in Lahaina. The tree is huge. As a child, I remember being baffled by the tree. Everyone said it was the biggest tree in Hawaii but how could that be? You see, the tree has many trunks, which makes the tree appear to be many, not one. When the tree was first planted, it was 8 feet tall but today the tree is 60 feet and has 16 trunks, which come together to form one tree. Romans 12:4-5 talks about how we, though many, form one body and I think that the Banyan tree is a powerful representation of just this. Like people, the trunks vary. The trunks pop out of different spots in the ground and each trunk differs in appearance but together, these trunks create one beautiful and incredible tree. God didn’t create us to do life alone. He created us to commune and fellowship together. Oxford Living Dictionary defines fellowship as “ a group of people meeting to pursue a shared interest or aim.” As Christ-followers, we have a shared interest: we know that our identity is in Christ and that Jesus came to earth to save us all. We also know that we are loved by the King of the Universe; no one could ever love us more. As a result, we want to go and share this news to the world; we want everyone to know this good, GOOD news. We, like the tree, are connected to each other and God has equipped us and wired us differently to share the truth of who Jesus is; it’s an incredible opportunity to be a part of. God didn’t create us to do life alone. He created us to commune and fellowship together. Fellowship is beautiful. In fellowshipping with one another, we have the opportunity to be true and brutally honest about our own struggles for the end result of knowing Jesus more. In fellowshipping together, we challenge and cheer each other on as we chase after God, leaving our struggles behind. So the trunks, though many, come together to form one beautiful and incredible tree. Without the many trunks, the tree wouldn’t be nearly as big as it is. John 15:5 says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” God is the vine and we are the branches and together we are part of something much bigger than we could ever be on our own. -- source link