The Same...Yet Different

I had the privilege a few years back to attend the British Open golf tournament, held that year in Liverpool, England.  Traveling by train from Hawarden, Wales where I was studying at the time at the Gladstone Library, a friend and I walked onto the course at Royal Liverpool to find not the lush green fairways of American golf, but the stark, rough edges of British links golf.  The difference was highlighted further by the fact that Great Britain was suffering through its worst drought in more than a century. 

 

Watching the coverage of this year's Open from Muirfield on the east coast of Scotland, shows the conditions a bit greener, yet still quite stark.  That is the nature of links golf.  Deep heavy bunkers, brown narrow fairways, tall unkempt rough, and fast multi-colored greens.  In many ways it is the same game played on the courses of America, and yet in many ways it is a very different game.

 

Scotland is the birthplace of golf and as such, one might argue that links golf is the purest form of the sport.  The evolution of the game as it has spread around the world, however, has taken the game in its original form, and transformed it...the same game...yet different.

 

You might not be surprised to hear this from me, but I think there are similarities between this diversity in the game and the distinctive nature of every Christian community of faith.  Paul used the analogy of one body, yet many parts to describe the Christian community.  The variations seem to be a necessary aspect of kingdom building.  That which unites us is the same Christ, and as such, "we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another." (Romans 12:5) 

 

This diversity of faith practice not only varies from country to country, but community to community, and church to church.  Westwood does not hold the keys to the kingdom any more securely than another Christian community, but somehow, in all the variations of telling and living the story of Christ that characterize the Church, God still works and lives are transformed.  Thanks be to God.

 

Continue to remember our youth as they complete their Impact work in Louisa.  They will be returning home tomorrow and sharing a report in Sunday morning's service.  

 

Finally, celebrate the variety of life that marks our human experience.  Though such diversity has its challenges, it is a wonderful gift from the Creator.

 

Jim Abernathy