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Let's come together for National Day of Prayer and March for Jesus

The Rev. Dr. John Hatcher

Religion Columnist

It was a summer Saturday afternoon in south Florida. A

twin engine plane took off from a nearby airport. Engine

problems developed and the plane crashed into our Baptist

church's preschool building. One passenger killed, but

thankfully, because it was a Saturday, the school was closed.

A week later, the Church of God, located just four

blocks away, felt led to send us a letter of comfort and

encouragement, enclosing a love check for $100.

That was the first point of contact between our two

churches. Up until that time, we acted as if the other didn't exist.

That's something like many of us churches act. We act out our

religion within four closed walls almost unaware that others

also are hitting licks for Christ. It takes an airplane crash or a

fire from hell to get our attention that there are others much

more like us than unlike us.

The plane crash and their love gift of $100 started a

relationship which resulted in yearly inter-church worship

services. One year I preached and our choir sang in their building;

the next year their pastor preached and their choir sang in

our building. It was a glorious tiny taste of the kind of unity

which the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have been enjoying for

aeons and aeons.

Even though some pastors and congregations resist it like

a plague, unity is the coming thing. Yes, the truth is that

some pastors and some congregations have yet to discover

the sublime and serendipitous joy of coming together. But

when they do, they'll never want to go back to the days of the

lone ranger.

Two very important days offer us the opportunity to get

our acts together: The National Day of Prayer, Thursday, May

6 and the March for Jesus, Saturday, May 22. These are

days when we can rally around our uncommon common

Savior. These are days we can come out of the four walls and into

the town square and city streets, going public with our

faith. Thankfully, this newspaper provides thorough and

interested news about the religious front. You'll find details about the

two events here.

But let me encourage you to take action that so you,

your pastor, and your church are involved in The National Day

of Prayer and The Jesus March. Else, object when your

preacher laments the loss of prayer in public school. If he's not willing

to join others in praying in the town square, I personally

question his right to wail at the loss of prayer in school.

Then, make sure you join the March for Jesus. You'll

experienced the unbridled joy of joining other Christians of

other denominations in celebrative praise and worship of

Jesus Christ. Again, a Christian who is not willing to set aside

a Saturday morning to walk a mile for Jesus, well I just

don't know!

Bottom line: unity is coming because the end is near.

Don't you want to be hand in hand as we cross the finish line?

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