In God's Fold

Jesus' heart broke over Jerusalem as he remarked how he wanted to gather his children together as a mother hen gathers her chicks under her wings because they were not willing to do so. (Matt. 23, Luke 13) This mother hen imagery expresses a two-fold result: to draw us near to him and to draw us near to one another. If Jesus is drawing us near to him as a mother hen draws its chicks, that means that we cannot come near to God without coming near to our brothers and sisters in Christ as well. If the chicks fight with one another, it is easy to see it would be impossible for any of them to be gathered under the loving wings of their mother. As we love God and love our neighbors as ourselves, it is easy to see that we will live in unity in the warm, soft, feathery goodness of God's fold. But that is up to you. Are you willing?