Is Church THE Church?
“The Church.”
It’s a common phrase. Say the words and different pictures will form in the mind. A towering cathedral. A little white church. Maybe a childhood Vacation Bible School classroom. Perhaps it brings to mind faces kind and loving. Or harsh and judgmental. Regardless, it is typical to associate the words “The Church” with a building or a very specific group.
But the reality is a bit different.
The church is really all believers. You and I. Saved by grace, committed to a great God, connected to his love by the sacrifice of his son Jesus. No matter the denomination, the background, our pasts (or perceived futures), the Church is the great body of believers around the world. The church is expressed in our love for one another, yes, but also in our love for our enemies.
The church can be a single person, standing strong, protecting another from bullying, because of the principles instilled by a loving, protective God. The church may be in something as simple as a plate of food, offered in compassion, to someone down on their luck.
The church is not a building, or a denomination. Rather, it is us. Reaching out to a hurting world, sharing, caring, offering light and love to friends and enemies alike.
And those actions may happen in a beautiful towering cathedral, a little white church in the woods, a hospital, a living room, or even in a barn. That’s the true beauty of Christianity.