by Tim Hall

Standing in that room that night, I felt very much like a foreigner. I was a foreigner. I was in this country for a few days, and things were so different from my home. The most frustrating fact was that I did not speak the language of the land. Only through the few who could speak English was I able to communicate.

The room we were in served as a meeting place for a new congregation of Christians. It was a small room; probably a maximum of thirty would fit here. But that was more than sufficient, for there were only four Christians in this large city. Occasionally others would visit. Those few Christians probably sometimes feel like foreigners, too.

The words the preacher had written on the marker board didn't mean much to me, since I couldn't read Spanish. I could, however, make out the last line: "the church = the family". The message was simple but clear. "How appropriate," I thought, "that the preacher is stressing this theme."

American Christians worshipping in America often lose sight of the significance of this clear message. We are in our comfort zones. Everything around us is familiar: the customs, the writing on the marker boards, the language spoken. "Going to church" is a social event, and we chat happily with one another. Then we go home.

Christ declared the church be a family. "Family" can be a very important concept at times. When tragedy strikes, we turn to our families. Illness and death make us long for the strength found only in our families. "Family" is made up of those who are closest to us, the ones who share our values, our dreams, our blood. When life looks dark and unfamiliar, we yearn for family.

Paul wrote to the Christians at Thessalonica, noting that they had been thrown into a period of affliction and suffering. What might happen to Christians in such a situation? ". . . that no one should be shaken by these afflictions . . ." (1 Thessalonians 3:3, New King James Version). The suffering is not what we expected. When our faith is the cause of our suffering, we are tempted to throw in the towel. We are shaken.

So what can be done to help keep Christians from being shaken? Paul wrote about how he had "sent Timothy, our brother and minister of God, and our fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you and encourage you concerning your faith" (1 Thessalonians 3:2). That's family in action! Timothy, one who cared deeply about his spiritual brethren in Thessalonica, went to them to strengthen and encourage them. His objective was to keep them from being shaken.

Who will come to us if we're not part of a family?

Not all churches seek to be the families Christ meant for them to be. Some think that teaching correct doctrine is the extent of their charge. Teaching correct doctrine is extremely important; we do not seek to minimize that goal. But a church that stops short of building family ties among its members is not rising to the standard Christ set for His church. (Read and contemplate Philippians 2:1-8 if that message is not yet clear in your mind. Or perhaps John 13:35.)

From my brief meeting with the preacher of this small church in a distant land, I suspect he has not had very much formal education. But when I saw the message at the bottom of the marker board -- "the church = the family" -- I knew he had been educated by the Lord!