Too often we think of the Christian community as the church which we attend. We forget that the Body of Christ transcends the barriers that humans construct.
Philip was in a daze and more lonely than he had ever been in his entire life. He was having trouble remembering exactly how it had happened but what was very clear was that he found himself in a jail in a country whose language he did not even speak. He had come here on a business trip but had decided to indulge himself in what he thought were some of the exotic pleasures of the night life in the city. He knew he had gotten drunk, probably had tried some drugs, but in any case had lost consciousness.
As hours passed into days and then weeks, he realized that this was not some little misunderstanding that would be quickly cleared up. Then one afternoon he just happened to glance out of his cell towards where one of the guards was standing and he saw the guard cross himself. Philip had been raised in the church but had drifted away as he became an increasingly successful single adult. Now, seeing that simple sign of the cross made by the guard reminded Philip of the Christian community back home and he longed for the simple pleasures of that community. He began to pray, at first secretly but then openly. One day he found himself humming the tune to one of the hymns he used to sing as a boy and he heard from another cell someone humming the tune back to him. Another day an English version of the Bible suddenly appeared on his tray when a guard brought him his food. While he would be in that jail for several more months, he was no longer alone. Despite the language barrier, human community began to be formed and he rediscovered the power of Christ to break down the dividing walls of hostility. It was clear to Philip that he had not discovered Christ but that Christ had discovered him.
