Jan 22, 2016
By Katrina Goodrich
Recently my niece and nephew went to the Air and Space Museum with their parents and had an amazing time. They were so excited about seeing the airplanes and helicopters. The museum also had an interactive play area with stations where different toys were set up for children’s entertainment. The kids kept talking about the really cool blocks they played with. I heard about them 25 times in the space of an hour. I just assumed the museum had a cool Lego set.
About two weeks later, we were celebrating my mom’s birthday and she received some “awesome” blocks. These “blocks” are actually called Keva planks and, as the name implies, they are simple-looking planks of wood. There aren’t any interlocking pieces, fancy colors, or exciting pieces shaped like animals or people. They are plain flat wooden pieces about 1 inch wide by 5 inches long by ¼ inch deep. At first glance they really don’t appear to be anything special.
These planks are precision cut to be identical building blocks. The uniformity created by their cut allows the blocks to have impressive stability when stacked. Even though the blocks are all the same, they can be stacked into impressive and beautiful structures. Because of the stability, it is easier for children to stack and make great towers and structures — even though their motor skills are less than those of an adult. Adults who like to build can create some amazing things. Even though they look like boring little planks apart, together they can make astounding things.
The body of Christ is the same way. Alone we don’t always look like much — boring, common, just like everyone else. Then you meet Christ and realize that every human is precision-made by a loving Creator to fit into a specific role in a piece of the puzzle. Whether or not someone recognizes it, we are all made to perfection
for the role that Christ created us for. WE don’t always recognize or understand that truth — but just as I found out from reading the Keva guide, that they are precision-made to work together, so too are we. It’s even in our instruction guide, the Bible. When Christians work together, that’s when the masterpiece begins to unfold. Together we are stronger and can accomplish great things. Even though we aren’t perfect and all exactly alike, when Christians come together under the auspices of our faith, we can make things happen. Individually, people can accomplish great things — but even greater things can be accomplished when two or three or more are gathered together (Matthew 18:20).
Jesus sent out the disciples two by two (Mark 6:7). Perhaps one of the most grandiose displays of what can happen when believers in Christ gather is Pentecost (Acts 2) where hundreds of Christians praying received the Holy Spirit andevangelized people from every nation in their own language. Pretty amazing stuff!
Every Christian has a place in the grand design, but there is no design alone. One person may do great things. “Together we can change the world” is a phrase I’ve heard often. It’s true, especially if God is the one who sets things in motion. It isn’t always easy to work with others. Sometimes it doesn’t seem as if things quite fit together. That’s okay — this is human life we’re dealing with. However, the more we move our mindset from what we can do individually to what can be done corporately, the further God’s kingdom can begin to reach.
