I’ve written before in a previous blog about how parrots come in all shapes and sizes, and just about every colour under the sun. We are truly a diverse bunch, but on the whole, we all seem to get along with one another. Only on occasions does the size of our beak sort out an argument.
You could say that parrots all belong to one big, broad church. And that’s how it’s meant to be for humans. Humans, like the whole of creation, are an extraordinarily rich and diverse bunch, yet God intends everyone to come together under the banner of love and unity. And human churches are meant to reflect that. I often like to sit on my perch and to imagine what might be.
Because dreams do come true. The fact we have all been born (or hatched) against overwhelming odds goes to prove just that. So let’s just imagine the scene in our local church as a service gets under way. There in the front row sit a group of Hell’s Angels (complete with their tattoos and leathers), alongside the delicate ladies of the local knitting circle. Behind them is a bank manager, sitting beside a poorly dressed insolvent. Then in the third row back there sits a group of politicians, all from rival parties. But instead of arguing, they all have their arms upstretched to Heaven in a devout act of Christian unity. And behind them is a group of people that are racially and culturally diverse, singing Christian songs at the tops of their voices in a public display of faith and joy…….
Let’s switch to the other side of the church where we have a couple of ex-convicts and a former lady-of-the-night sitting beside a retired Vicar. Behind them are a group of vagrants, and folk with learning difficulties, a couple of gay people, plus a collection of grannies, children and families all gathered together in their quest to find God.
And then, down the middle, there are some gypsies and travellers taking the collection. But instead of running out of the door with it, they hand it over to the presiding Vicar because they are doing it for God! Just imagine it!
You see, anyone that walks through the door of a church with a genuine heart should be made welcome. Irrespective of who they are, or what they look like, or what they may have done in the past. God’s world is all about the present and the future. Who we are right now, and where we are heading. And whether we carry humility, love and a Christian purpose in our hearts. Because we all matter to God and Jesus. We are all invited in to experience the light that is
Jesus and the power that is God. So long as we are completely genuine……..
God gives miracles to those who believe; courage to those with faith; hope to those who dream; and above all, love to those who accept and care……….
