September has just ended and we are beginning October. This is a favorite time of year for me. The first Sunday in October is World Communion Sunday. For me that means a celebration of the worldwide international nature of the church and of life. Some scientists who are studying human genetics are saying that all of humanity can be trace back to less than a hundred people who lived fifty to sixty thousand years ago. We really are of one blood and of one origin.
One of the happy surprises of my years in Africa was the profound oneness and "peopleness" of all humankind. I remember one occasion when we were entering a portion of the rain forest for the first time. We were challenged by African warriors with spears whose heads were mostly covered with monkey skins. They were intimidating. Within a few hours we had eaten together and were seated around the evening fire, discussing the issues of life. Education of kids, medical care, and family financial plans were the concerns of us all.
On several occasions I met National Geographic and other film teams who were making documentaries about Africa. Without the ability to converse with local people they could be made to appear "primitive" and backward. When there was time to eat and talk we quickly learned how much we have in common. The great hope of the gospel is that God is guiding us toward a shared destiny and a world that will be healed and reunited.
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