I was stationed at Iraklion Air Base on Crete, Greece, for fifteen months while I served in the Air Force, but I picked up very little Greek. The locals who worked on base wanted to use their English and were not interested in teaching us their language. Since then, my study of the New Testament has introduced me to some Greek words with very specific meanings. My favorite is koinonia, the word normally translated into English as fellowship. It is the intimate relationship we have with God and with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Once you experience it you wonder how you could ever live without it.
John wrote about the primary prerequisite of that close relationship. “This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:5-7) When we come before God there is no need for pretense, spin or secrecy. His light illuminates every crack and crevice of our being, and then provides His Holy Spirit to keep that light burning within us so that we may walk in the light and in fellowship.
When people come together who have that light, there is also no pretense, spin or secrets needed. In addition to our love, I shared that kind of fellowship with my wife for more than fifty years and it gave us comfort and encouragement that drew us even closer to each other and to God. I missed that fellowship when she went to be with the Lord.
As I’ve mentioned before, every Saturday morning at 6 AM I meet with three or four Christian brothers for breakfast and an open discussion of whatever is on our minds. Most times it is after nine before we break up. We know each other well enough to let down our guards and get real. Every week I feel refreshed, encouraged and inspired. I think each of them feel the same. Even when some have to work or have family obligations and only two or three of us meet for breakfast, Jesus has always kept His promise. “For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.” (Matthew 18:20)
Over the last four years, I have gotten to know three Christian ladies who also live alone and we check up on each other regularly. It is not unusual for a quick phone call to see how they are doing to turn into a two hour session of sharing experiences. It is good to get a woman’s perspective again. None of us is looking for romance at this stage, but the Christian fellowship (koinonia) we share is so refreshing and real.
I have many other Christian friends who reach out to me from time to time and I appreciate them just as much. Because it is God’s Spirit inside of us that unites us, we are drawn closer to God as we draw close to each other. I hope you are experiencing this special relationship with God and others in whom God’s light is shining.