Pulling the Ropes Together

By David E. Crosby, Pastor

First Baptist New Orleans

December 15, 2007

Stretching the canvas across the aluminum skeleton of the tent required teamwork and coordination of effort. Half a dozen recruits pulled the ropes as half a dozen others fed the canvas upward and over the crossbars.

The skin is now on the building, and the end walls are nearly completed. Insulation, carpet, and air conditioning must be installed before furniture can be installed. Then we will be ready for guests!

Teamwork is an essential part of Kingdom work in post-Katrina New Orleans. We knew this before the flood, but we have become convinced of it since. Few things are more important than coordinating our efforts and working together.

This truth crosses denominational lines—and all other artificial lines drawn between believers in our city. On the front lines of the mission field believers experience a little bit of heaven that those camped way back behind the stuff cannot really comprehend. We discover and receive the blessing that we are not alone in our efforts to bring the lost to Christ and the world to the Savior. We discover our brothers and sisters—fully spiritual family in every way—who are part of other camps and units in the army of God.

Any time we experience a reality on earth that we know will not exist in heaven we have discovered a time-bound, earth-only reality. Racial, economic, and denominational divisions are just such realities. They exist here for various reasons. But these categories and subgroups will not exist in heaven. So you learn a little bit about heaven when these lines are gone and all believers are lifting the same canvas together.

The watching world also learns something about us at these heavenly moments. They learn that the church of Jesus Christ is larger than its earthly divisions. They learn that we can work together. They already know from our bad press that we can criticize each other and complain about one another.

Surely Jesus must have smiled as he saw our patchwork crew erecting the tent for the homeless. I think he was blessed to know a little answer to the prayer for unity he so passionately voiced to the Father the day before his death.

Many hands have come to work on this project. Many people are interested in a variety of ways. We encourage and solicit your prayers, labor, and gifts as we move forward to provide a warm bed and hot meal for every willing resident of Duncan Plaza now without a roof, sanitation, or security.