Fellowship with our friends is great but it is not like the special fellowship of the light that God can provide for us. If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another. 1 John 1:7 If you have walked with the Lord very long, you know that there are not any words that can bond people together like the love of Christ.
One time in Israel this was made clear to a church of about 100 people. Some Saturdays for church service the people brought their lunch with them and after the sermon they shared food and fellowship. We enjoyed this time together as Christian friends, but the Lord was about to show us just how much of a special fellowship He can provide even without words.
In the middle of the week, a hardened construction man walked up to the little church and we later figured out he did this in order to find Christians. Vasiliu, a Romanian, tried to talk to me outside the church building while I was working in the yard. Finally, after many wasted words on both sides for I did not speak Romanian and he did not speak English, the man took a picture from his pocket. It was a well-worn snapshot of him, being baptized in an old four-legged bathtub. I finally understood a word that Vasiliu kept repeating, "Christi." As we looked at each other we knew the common bond between us was Christ, but we could not communicate. He rested awhile outside the church while I wrote down the name and address of the church, in English, and gave it to him. He took it and left.
On Saturday morning at the church, I kept looking down the road to see if Vasiliu had understood the invitation he had received in a foreign language. Then here he came. When he arrived we greeted each other like old friends. Over the next few weeks, Vasiliu went to every member of the church and showed them the picture while repeating the name, Christi. He kept coming even though he didn't understand the preacher or any of the congregation. He accepted us and we accepted him and began to love each other in Christ. We knew we were of one spirit even without words.
After five months, Vasiliu came to church with his arm hurt from his job. Someone figured out that he was being sent home and he wanted to get up in front of the church. As he stood up in front of the church he reached in his pocket and pulled out the tattered picture that we had all become so familiar with. He looked at it and then held it out towards the congregation. With a smile on his face he said, "Christi". There was not a dry eye in the church. We all understood Vasiliu was leaving but he wanted to make sure we knew that our fellowship together over the short time he'd been there was all because of Christ. It was as if he was telling us, "I love Christ. Follow Christ. We are one in Christ."
This was the most wrenching departure the little church ever felt. We had never been able to converse with Vasiliu but our spirits had adhered to each other. It will be wonderful to meet Vasiliu in heaven and maybe he will be without that old picture.
May we each find fellowship with each other in the Spirit!
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