Composed January 20, 2007
So here I am, in Sydney, Australia. Miles from home, stepping out on my own, taking in the mindblowing scenery of the Blue Mountains, and the sandstone cliffs between the beaches. It’s a great place. But when I got to the Sydney operahouse and began to photograph it from every angle, I got to thinking “Wouldn’t it be great if I had a picture of myself in front of this thing?” and then I realized that if I wanted a picture with me in it, I needed someone else to take it for me. And then it hit me: You could be anywhere on earth, you could be somewhere awesome, you could be doing something great, you could have the experience of a lifetime, you could have anything that money could buy, but if you have no one to share it with, what’s the point?
It’s the same thing with the gospel. I have a great thing. I am completely alone in a foreign country, but I trust that God will provide for me, and I’m confident in my salvation. I have a relationship with Jesus Christ, and he’s a pretty cool guy. But I have no one to share that with. I can have a sense of inner peace, I can come up with a song or a devotion, I have great news. But if I have no one to share it with, what’s the point.
There is great emphasis in the Bible on Christian community, on helping the poor, on loving your neighbor, on sharing the gospel. No where is it stated “and one a week you shall attend a church service.” I have been to a number of churches in the past year, and I remember the first time I entered St. Paul’s in Dawson City. They made me stand up and introduce myself. I thought this was a terrible idea until last Sunday, when I went to church, hid in the back, then left without a word to anyone there. My own personal faith may be a great thing, but the church isn’t a building, it’s a community and I guess I should start being a part of it.

“No one lights a lamp and hides it in a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light” Luke 8:16