Jason Bedell Online

My wife and I took the China Town Bus from Va Beach to NYC awhile back for a trip to the Big Apple. It was unreal. They played the Big Lebowski (unedited) which was awkward for everyone with some of the content/scenes, there was a certain smell that was almost like a Chinese buffet- but the food had been there a little too long, and then there was "The Lady."

"The Lady" had some issues. With everything.

Her seat. Her ticket. Her comfort level. Her fellow passengers. Her bus driver. Her luggage underneath. Her hair due to the humidity level of Hampton Roads. It was a mess.

I wonder if you took her out of the equation how much different the bus ride would have been? Even including the movie and buffet smell, it was a good trip. The people were nice, we all had an unsung agreement- "We all know this is going to be a long ride, but our goal is to ride this bus together to get to our destination." And had "The Lady" not thrown a monkey wrench in the mix, the journey would have been much different. All of us had heard the same expectations from the driver, the same rules and regulations, and the same speech about knowing where we fit in the mix of this trip.

How is it that we sometimes end up like, "The Lady" when it comes to our faith? We've been given the proper instruction (the Bible), we've been granted the grace by God (which we clearly don't deserve), and we've been given a great community of Christ-followers to share in the journey with (the Church).

I will venture out to say that I loved all the people on the bus, including "The Lady." But, when it comes to being together on a bus and journey towards a destination- it's much more conducive to success for the goal/vision if everyone is on the same page. It's passages like Ephesians 4:3-6 that really drive this home for me:

"Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all."

As we come under the grace of God and call ourselves "Christians" or Christ-followers;" my prayer is that we strive to live this passage out. When we do, it makes the ride even that much more enjoyable. So as you look at your church body and the mission of reaching those who are far from God, the question is...

Are you on the bus?