It’s a small world after all… it’s a small, small world

Years ago when our two oldest children were tots we went to Disney World. The favorite ride for our kids was "It's a small world." There were times when we got off one boat and walked to the head of the line and got in another to go around again. By the end of the 3-days the song was stuck in my head!

Little did I know then, how true the song's message really is…

Here I am in Jos, Nigeria, thousands of miles from home.  Jos has no international tourist draw… and is a 4-hour drive from the nearest international airport. It is not a place many people come to.

The other night I attended a dinner of international missionaries in Jos. There were probably 50 people from a number of mission agencies in the west. Part of the program was to encourage connection so before we could eat we had to speak with at least 2 others we didn't know. Not hard for me, I didn't know anyone. The first woman I spoke with was from England teaching orphans and setting up a training center for the children to supplement the local school which is inconsistent at best. The next person was a young mom with an infant daughter. As we shared our stories we were both stunned to learn that we had lived in the same town, Mason, Ohio at the same time. Although we never met in Mason, here we were talking about the town, our churches and all kinds of connections… go figure ¼ of the way around the world and we lived in the same town in the US.

      Then on the desert line I met a woman from the CRC (Christian Reformed Church of Canada). Again we shared our stories and knowing 1 or 2 CRC pastors I tossed out the name of a friend who serves on a ministry team with me for a renewal ministry. It is a small world; my friend was a classmate of this missionary woman's husband in seminary 15 or so years ago. We chatted up a storm before the evening ended.

Driving home that night I thought yes it is a small world, and getting smaller I venture to say. And connections within Christ's body make the world even smaller.

It is a small world after all…