Where Does the Church Live?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LU8DDYz68kM

Where does the Church live? Now, that is a strange question. However, I believe the answer to it or at least the effort to do so may be just the antidote needed to put the fullness of life into the Body of Christ.

I just recently saw the “youtube” video clip of the Battle at Kruger. If you have not seen it yet, please take time to view it now (click on the URL above). It is well worth the effort…As I watched this clip I was moved deeply by the actions I saw the herd of Cape Buffalo take in rescuing the little calf. Having watched the clip you now know that their were a small group of buffalo, who were separated from the herd and were attacked by a Pride of lions. The lions singled out a young calf, tackling it into the water and were preparing for a feast when a crocodile felt he might join them for lunch by clamping down on the hind quarters of the little calf. A tug of war ensued between the crocodile and the lions with the calf as the ‘pull-ee’. The lions won the tug of war and the little calf looked as though he would be lunch for the feline pride.

Suddenly, the entire herd of Cape Buffalo (approx. 100) make their way back towards the “lunch table” and they have one thing on their minds. They are going to rescue the calf. What follows is perhaps one of the most beautiful pictures of unity I have ever seen. The Herd against the Pride. The lesser against the greater. The vassals against the crown. However, you might like to put it, the buffalo abandoned all fear and with calculated abandonment they proceeded to make the hunter the hunted. They gouged, kicked, chased and snorted at the lions until…they let go and the little calf just simply stood up and disappeared into the herd of buffalo. WOW!!

As I watched the event unfold I gave pause to something. I thought how the safety of the herd was in their ability to stick together. I mused about the fact that lions live in prides, sheep live in flocks, wolves live in packs. The safety of each of these animal groups is in direct proportion to their place within their environment. With that in mind I thought, “What is the environment of the Church? Where do the people of God live? We don’t live in herds, coveys, or prides. Maybe until we find our proper living environment we will have great difficulty getting the living of the Christian life right. Then it came to me, Jesus established the Church as the environment and realm where Christians live. Now when I say church I do not mean but rather the people of God, you and me…us…we…from every tribe, nation, language and race.

Jesus’ overriding prayer in John 17:21 was “that they may all be one as you, Father are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” (ESV). In order for that to take place we will have to do similarly as did the herd of buffalo. We must surrender to the will of the Alpha (Christ). We must love Him, our environment (church), and we must live in utter abandonment to Christ and His purposes. We must find ways to move together organically. We must live together, function together, die together and live together. When we do, the culture around us will say, WOW!! Until then, we will continue to be just so many Christians caught between a lion and a crocodile. We will be lunch for any and all predators of the spirit.