The body has always fascinated me. To know that for your body to do simple tasks, requires multiple systems to work in congruence is amazing. You also have to think about when one system is not working properly, it throws off the balance of your entire body making it impossible to do those tasks. It’s also crazy to think that God created our bodies to be living proof of the body of Christ. I mean doesn’t our human body represent the body of Christ in every way? Think about the body of Christ. Every part and member must work together in order for the body to work. When one member decides not to participate, it throws off the whole body of Christ. For quite some time, there has been a division among the body of Christ. It’s a generation divide between my generation and the older generations. They think we are too wild, disrespectful, unmotivated, and uncommitted. Whereas, we often see the older generations as bitter, set in their ways, close minded, and unapproachable. I think this is especially true when it comes to social issues happening in our world today. I know for myself, I have been caught in conversations with my parents and their friends on topics such as homosexuality and legalizing marijuana that usually end in yelling, anger, and bitterness towards one another. But was this Christs vision for our generations? Or was his vision to see us working together and building kingdom together? I believe that the latter of the two is the correct one because of the representation of our physical bodies that walk the earth every day.
As most of you know, I had the privilege of spending a week with my mom and other parents of my squad mates doing ministry in Chiang Mai, Thailand with Lighthouse in Action ministries. We did some manual labor painting the house that the girls who had left the bars and work for Zion live in. We went into the slums and played soccer with the kids. We walked around Chaing Mai to different temples and sat with Monks asking questions and gaining wisdom from them about Thai culture and sharing the gospel with them. Most of all, we spent time together as one under the sole mission of furthering God’s kingdom. It was one of the first times that I was able to sit down with my mom and have real conversations about her faith walk and listen to different perspectives on issues that are going on in our world right now. I was able to talk about my walk, what the Lord has done, and discuss real raw healing that I have walked through in my life. To me, I saw the body of Christ truly come alive as two different generations put aside their differences and came together for one purpose. I was able to listen to parents speak about being empowered by our generation for our boldness and courage to step out. I was encouraged by their boldness to leave the comforts of home and follow God’s calling to come to Thailand. Watching parents and kids work together, love together, and fight together for the Kingdom each day was incredible. I believe that God was looking down at the week at PVT and saying “Yes, this is what I want and envisioned for my children.”
When we look at Scripture, you don’t hear God talking about division being part of the body but unity being the igniting force for the body. Take 1 Corinthians 12:12-20 for example:
“Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body – whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free – and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many. Now if the foot should say “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. And if the ear should say “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body.” It would not for that reason stop being part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts but one body.”
Every member/part is necessary for the body of Christ to work. Everyone has different experiences, different gifts, different struggles that will only help to strengthen the body of Christ. It’s time that we come together under the foundation of love and unity. It’s time that we set aside age. It’s time for the generations to reach out and learn from the other generations putting aside their views of the world and replacing them with the unified views of our Father. It’s time that we fiercely love one another through every struggle and hardship. It’s time that we set aside stubbornness, selfishness, and pride to meet each person where they are and humble ourselves knowing that we have something to gain from knowing that person. It’s time that we start celebrating differences instead of condemning them. It’s time that instead of walking away, we fight for one another knowing that they are a son/daughter of Christ too. It’s time that we pray for one another and encourage one another through faith. I can’t imagine how much more incredible the church would be if the generation gap was closed; how much more powerful we would be as a united force against evil; how much more dangerous we would be to the enemy. The enemy wants division, he loves it. So lets fight against division and seek unity among our generations and always remember that love conquers all. That’s my hope, my plea, and my prayer.
Parent Vision Trip visiting the elephants at the Elephant Sanctuary
Race Update: There are 70 days left on this race. 70 days to further the Kindgdom, share the gospel, continue to build lasting friendships, and step into disciplines that I can use when I get home. It’s important to note that while my World Race will end in 70 days, the race of this life doesn’t end. I will just be met with new challenges and struggles that will once again push my deeper and farther into the arms of my loving Father. I am asking for prayer to stay present and continue to press into life here on the race. Please pray for strength as a lot of us are feeling exhaustion from being on the field for 9 months. Please pray that we finish strong and wake up each day feeling renewed and refreshed in our Father’s love. I am currently in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe working for Scripture Union sharing my testimony and the gospel with children and teenagers in local schools. Please prayer for Scripture Union as they have been hit with a roadblock with the media and the ministry of education who is Muslim. When we arrived there had just been an article released saying that Scripture Union had been banned from schools, which was not true. Unfortunately, the media is so influential that we have had to fight our way into a lot of these schools. It has been a busy hectic month but we are looking forward to finishing strong and moving on to Zambia at the end of the month. Thank you for your continued prayers, words of encouragement and messages. You will never know how much it means to know that I have support back at home that I can cling to when I am beyond exhausted and drained.
