The Beauty of Unity

The Beauty of Unity

Why should one go to a place that many others run from? Once I meditated on this question for long time. I do remember that an occasion I went with a friend of mine to visit a church; and for whatever reason I saw the pastor like a clown. In those days I had only once been in an evangelical church. This time was my second time. I never went back with my friend or by myself to visit any other churches. This experience was when I was living in my original country. I still remember that I had the desire to congregate with the evangelical people; but I never found a reliable place for me to worship. For some reason I didn’t like any of those places that I knew were around my city.

When I came to United States I started to go to church because someone was surprised that I was not going. I never thought that it was necessary to go to a church. Then, when I started going to a church I learned that some people was mean, disrespectful, self-centered and hypocrites. Once, I knew that the pastor of the congregation that I was attending was someone that was stealing money from the donations that people of God were giving. Moreover, this person, besides his stealing, was taking advantage of his authority figure to abuse and disrespect those that trusted his title. This was a shocking experience; but it helped me to place my eyes in God only and not in man’s brokenness. This experience also helped me to understand that not all those that called themselves pastors, ministers, elders, teachers and so on are truly serving the Lord Jesus Christ. I have learned what the Lord said: “by their fruit they will be known.” What a truth! And what a great experience to deal with disappointment and deception.

Therefore, why to go to a place that I can get deeply hurt and take a great risk to become one like those that hurt me? At the beginning, I didn’t understand it very clear; because the only thing that I knew was that I enjoyed the time of worship with...