Have you ever met someone and felt an almost immediate bond with them? It might have been their engaging smile, quick wit, or magnetic personality. But sometimes this bond occurs when you discover you’ve got something significant in common – perhaps you were both from the same part of the country; attended the same college; were members of the same profession; knew some of the same people; had vacationed in the same places; or shared common interests.
Whatever the link might be, it results in turning this “stranger” into an instant friend. No longer a stranger. Your lives may be different in many ways, but whatever your point of commonality is, it bridges those differences, allowing you to easily relate to one another on that basis alone.
This has happened to me many times t. I’ve met folks who share my fervor for the Ohio State Buckeyes; people who also grew up in my home state; fellow photographers; even those that enjoy the same restaurants. But this instant connection has occurred most often when I’ve discovered that he or she is a brother or sister in Jesus Christ.
I experienced this just two weeks ago, when I was invited to a meeting where I met a Christian business leader from Taiwan. I had known nothing about “Ben” before we met, but as we talked together, it was a source of joy to discover we shared a common devotion to the Lord.
This instant bond of faith has become most evident while traveling in other parts of the world, discovering that someone in Hungary, Germany, Italy, Jamaica, Venezuela, the Netherlands, El Salvador or Mexico worships and serves the same God that I do, even if they do so in a different language and worshipping in a different style, in keeping with their culture.
We see a wonderful example of this in the apostle Paul’s letter to followers of Christ in ancient Rome. He had never been there but knew about the bond of faith they had in common. In his introduction, Paul writes these words of encouragement:
“First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world. God, whom I serve with my whole heart…is my witness how constantly I remember you in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you” (Romans 1:8-10)
Clearly, even though they had not met in person – I bet Paul would have loved to have access to something like Skype or Zoom – their spiritual kinship was unmistakable. And he realized it would be even stronger when they could interact face to face. As he said, “I long to see you that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong – that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith” (Romans 1:11-12).
Later in this epistle Paul explained more specifically his intentions for traveling at last to Rome. He said with enthusiasm, “I know that when I come to you, I will come in the full measure of the blessing of Christ” (Romans 15:29).
I think I understand what he meant by “the blessing of Christ,” at least in part. Whenever I’ve been able to spend time with fellow believers, I’ve not only been able to share some of what God has been teaching me, but also learned from them and gained a fuller appreciation of how God is working in geographic areas and cultures unlike my own. My sense of His majesty and power has been greatly expanded.
When Jesus commanded His followers to “Go into all the world and make disciples” (Matthew 28:19), I believe this was not just to evangelize people and help them come to saving faith. It was also to help those who have received the Lord’s saving grace to grow and “be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith,” as Paul stated.
We’re not called to live for God in isolation; He wants us to engage in ministry together, in whatever ways He sees fit. Because, after all, “We are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building” (1 Corinthians 3:9). What greater, more profound bond could we have than this?
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