Unkowingly Connected

We've all had those occasions, yet it always blows us away. My brother, Brandon, had become friends with one of his co-workers. They seemed to have a lot in common including a never-fading love for all things Stryper.

After several months of being rather good chums, his co-workers wife came into the store where they worked. Brandon was stunned. She was a step-cousin. We had not seen her since her dad (who had long been married to our aunt) passed away. We used to eat dinner with her every Christmas Eve. Her husband (Brandon's co-worker friend) had even been there. They were connected in a way they never realized.

Something similar happened to me recently. Cindie and I went to an Ethiopian restaurant to try to learn more about our daughter's native culture, and to prepare us for our trip to Ethiopia. We were quick to share with the waitress our interest in Ethiopia. This as abnormal for me. I do not open up to complete strangers very easily.

She was very excited. She works with a few Ethiopian missions including one that helps their orphans get adopted. (She does not usually work at the restaurant, but was just filling in for an aunt). We anticipated that whomever would be working there would have Ethiopian connections. What we did not anticipate was that we would find someone so passionate about serving the Lord by serving the Ethiopian people. We were kindred spirits.

We were so inspired by the providential meeting that we exchanged email addresses with the waitress. That's something I have never done before. It turns out that she will be in Addis Ababa at the same time we will, and she would like to see our baby.

Oh, and her husband Mike-e is a hip hop artist/poet/producer. When she found out I was a pastor she just gave us his album, which I am really loving.

And there have been more unbeknown connections. People who I did not even think liked me or respected me have stood beside me, upheld me. People I barely knew were praying for me daily. A guy helping me with a flat tire who was once a kid in Sam's youth group. I even had a five minute conversation with an uncle from a different school of Christian theology in which we spoke with a harmony that surprised us both, I think.


I'm beginning to think that Jesus' prayer in John 17: 23 may not be such a lost cause. "May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me."

Why am I surprised that God is working out the prayer of His preeminent Son? Well, the rest of his children have done plenty to undermine that effort to be sure. But we are his body. He HAS joined us together. We are linked in a very real way with millions of people that we do not even know.