Heavenly fellowship

“It is by the grace of God that a congregation

   is permitted to gather visibly in the world…”

During the summer of 2001 I visited the ancient, contested city of Jerusalem, staying at an American institute in the Armenian Quarter. One afternoon I set out on foot to visit a bookstore on the opposite side of the old city, and beyond the city walls. This was not a long walk, but it was very hot and it was Friday—preparation day for the Sabbath.  By the time I reached the Damascus Gate, the narrow streets were choked with people hurrying to finish their business.  Gridlocked in a wave of humanity, I inched my way through the gate, up the Shechem Road past the Garden Tomb. By the time I reached the bookstore, which I now discovered was also closing for Sabbath, it was already dark and I was exhausted and nearly dehydrated. Thousands of miles from home, friends, and family, I was vulnerable to anyone who might see my condition and take advantage. Thankfully, those who took note of my predicament were a husband and wife missionary couple from the U.S. who operated the bookstore as the base for their ministry. In my depleted state, it was a tremendous relief to make their acquaintance!  They gave me water and drove me to their home where they set before me a wonderful meal of falafel, pita bread, pumice, and olives. After a good night’s sleep, I regained my strength but I remained in their home for several days as they graciously introduced me to the area, its people, and its fledgling churches.

In chapter 1 of Life Together Bonhoeffer writes that the believer “yearns for the physical presence of other Christians” and that they are “a source of incomparable joy and strength” (19). I experienced the truth of that statement in my needy encounter with the Christian couple in Israel. Of course, not all encounters with fellow believers are like that, but how easily we take Christian fellowship for granted when it is all around us! Comfortably situated in our Christian enclaves, we can scarcely relate to John the author of Revelation, in exile on the Island of Patmos, or Paul, imprisoned in Rome, or Dietrich Bonhoeffer, imprisoned in Nazi Germany and starving for Christian fellowship in his lonely cell. These saints and martyrs were denied the privilege of fellowship that most of us enjoy as often we choose. They had to wait to for heaven in order to be reunited with fellow believers. Their example and testimony, therefore, must serve as a wakeup call to us. As Bonhoeffer explains, “between the death of Christ and the Last Day it is only by a gracious anticipation of the last things that Christians are privileged to live in visible fellowship with other Christians.” When was the last time you experienced Christian fellowship as a relief, a joy, or a delight?  Share your experience, below.