One in Christ

I recently attended the wedding of Lori and Jon which took place on a sandy beach along the Chesapeake Bay at Fort Monroe. It was a lovely occasion. At the end of the ceremony, the couple took part in a Unity Sand Ceremony. The picture I took above shows the larger container of sand after the couple had poured their individual jars of sand into it, representing the joining of their lives together as one.

It was the first time I'd seen this ceremony and I thought it was impressive. To me, it is a picture of not only the relationship of a married couple, but also the relationship of the believer with Christ. When we accept Christ as Savior, His Holy Spirit comes to live within us. Christ lives in us even as we live in Christ. Just as the grains of sand in the large container can never be separated and poured again into the individual containers, so we will always be a part of Christ and He a part of us.

"There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all" Ephesians 4:4-6.

Being a part of Christ is a beautiful thing. It also means that we are one in the body of Christ with other believers, and the Holy Spirit that dwells within each of us also dwells in all of us. We are united for eternity. I always thought how wonderful it was that when my daughter Holly lived 3,000 miles away in Los Angeles, I could pray for her and the same Holy Spirit who lives in both she and I would immediately minister to Holly's needs. Jesus said, "Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are" John 17:11.

Being an integral part of something far bigger than yourself is exciting and also offers a great feeling of belonging. Not only that, being one with the Creator of all things is more amazing than we can even comprehend. "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus" Galatians 3:28.

I see myself as one of those little grains of sand, all tucked away in the midst of God and all the other believers of all time, and I am blown away with the wonder of it all. Anyone up for building a sand castle?