......about a camel and her baby!

          I was listening to Chuck Swindoll on his "Insight for Living" radio program the other day, and he told this little story:
          "A baby camel said to its mother and said, "Why do we have such big, thick feet, Momma?"  The mother replied, "So we can walk over the hot desert sand." 
          The young camel then asked, "But, why do we have such big eyelashes?"  She said, "because we have to be able to see our way through blowing sand storms."
         The baby's third question was: "Well, then why do we have such big humps on our backs?"  To which the mother responded, "So we can walk for days over vast deserts and not need water."
          Then the young camel said, "Since that's true.......why are we in a zoo!"

          Swindoll's central theme through that message was---that the church....like the camel---was not created to live an isolated life.  By being restricted to the confines of a zoo, a camel cannot fulfill the purpose for which it was created.  Everything about the camel's makeup is designed for it to live in the desert---not a zoo!

          You've probably heard of healthy animals from the wild that have died in captivity, or who live very lethargic lives.....because they are not in the place they were designed to be.

          I was just thinkin'..........how the church was NOT designed to be isolated in the confines of a sanctuary, a fellowship hall, or a Bible study classroom.  It was designed and created to be in the world....imitating Christ.  Some of the most successful ministries happening today, are taking place outside the confines of a church building.
          In Romans 12:9-21, Paul lays down a list of characteristics of a Christian.  In verse 13---right after stating the need to take care of the saints, he says that we are to be  "given to be hospitality".  In the Greek, the word "hospitality" carries the idea of "strangers".
          Swindoll said that the church (Christians) are to "be engaged with those who don't know Christ".   That would most likely take place outside the church............where we were created to function.
          I wonder......because we isolate ourselves in our buildings, and most everything we do takes place inside the church.....have we lost our purpose...have we become irrelavant??
          Let's escape from the "zoo", and get our there in the "desert" where we belong......given to hospitality....and be the presence of Christ!

Tommy (Proverbs 16:3)