The last three-legged race I lined up for was on a church picnic with my then 4 year old son, Luke. He was three foot nothing, barely toilet trained, slept twice as much as me, ran at a fraction of my blistering pace, and if there had been a lizard lying in our path, we could have been diverted for up to an hour!
It was a crazy match up, but in God’s economy, it was perfect.
For if Luke fell, I was there to pick him up. When our elastic broke, I could tie it again. As we stumbled along, I was able to teach and train him how to do it better. When he got tired, I was there to carry, comfort and encourage him. The very things that I hope he will do for me when I’m old.
Better yet, Luke reminded me of my shortcomings! His weaknesses forced me to be kind, gentle, and patient and … he made it fun! For me it was a race to be won, for him it was a circus to be enjoyed. Because of him I learned to revel in the moment, delight in the experience of getting there, as much as finishing.
For all its silliness and fun, a miss-matched three-legged race, is a great metaphor for life in the Christian Church. Even though we’ve each been individually saved by Jesus, we’re saved into a whole new relationship, a new family – the eternal Church expressed locally.
Bulli Anglican Church is our three-legged-race!
Jesus is the bond who joins us and making it home to him together, is the common goal we share. And while our unity exposes the enormous differences between us, our diversity shapes how we uniquely care, share and bear with one-another as we run. And when we do this in love, the gospel is made visible in the Northern Illawarra (John 13:34-35).
Sure, it’s a messy and complicated circus with so many different people joined together by Christ, but what a circus it is!
Roll-up, Roll-up, the BAC Family Circus is in town.
Michael