A central Missouri farmer lived close to a river. He had ducks as many of the other farmers did. Ducks like water, but the farmers knew that if they allowed their ducks to get out on the river that they would get mixed up and nobody would know whose ducks were whose. As a remedy to the problem, they each built fenced pens in the river for their ducks.
The ducks liked the water but they also wanted the fellowship of the other ducks. They would swim over to their fence and quack at the ducks in the other pens but they couldn't get through. That is until one day the river rose until it flowed over the top of the pens. . . then the ducks were free and had a ducky fellowship! The farmers didn't like it but that was tough. The ducks were having a great time.
Too often, our Christian DENOMINATIONS act like those pens. With human-constructed walls, we keep ourselves from knowing true fellowship with ALL of our brothers and sisters in Christ. What mighty work might God be able to do in our communities if we would allow the river of the Holy Spirit to draw us above our humanmade walls and truly work together as ONE body in Christ Jesus?
Source: Wayne Sams
Topics/Tags: Church; Denominations; Unity; Church, dissensions in