I am not a good communicator. Let me rephrase that. I am not good at keeping communication channels open. This weekend two friends phoned whom I hadn’t seen or spoken to in a long time. The mere fact that they phoned showed me that I had a place in their lives. I feel guilty that the idea to phone hadn’t come from me.
One friend came from the my days at High School (see the recent blog, “Queenscliff and the field of memories”. He is one of the friends who were “figments” of my imagination) and the other had been at theological college with me and later we served churches around Brisbane.
Both these calls meant (and still mean) a lot to me. They reminded me that I have, we have, significance in each others lives. That is the way God intended us to be. That is the way He made us. We were meant for community. As human beings we are only fulfilled when we are in a body – specifically the body of Christ. Here I am not necessarily speaking of institutional churches, which can become obsessed with programs and rules, but interconnected networks of Christians revealing the many facets of Christ and His Kingdom to the world.
Christ doesn’t just come to us through the Word or Holy Spirit, (as miraculous and amazing as that is!) but also through each other. Here I have been remiss but these two friends revealed aspects of God: concern, encouragement, love and challenge, that can only happen in true community.
Of late I have had a tendency to withdraw. My two friends, unintentionally, yet powerfully, reminded me that I am not really complete, and the body isn’t complete until my piece of the puzzle fits into the greater jigsaw called the body of Christ.
Thank you brothers.
Travels from Ur 
All I did was make a phone call for Christ’s sake……..literally!
I always said you looked like Jesus … Without the beard.
Ah, Pieter, you’re far from alone in what you (sometimes?) struggle with. But the Lord embraces and even blesses also those who are reflective, ask more questions than pontificate, who are Good News in their marriage and family, and who enjoy even the quiet and minority interests.
One of my daughters just mentioned having yet another long period of non-communication from a good friend overseas, so she phoned her parents (locals) to make sure there was nothing seriously wrong. She chose not to mention her own concern, just “caught up”. Some phone calls are means of grace.
I’m sure that God will give Hetty and you and your family a beautiful Christmas and another year of His good things.
Thank you for your reflections, Fred. Appreciated.