This summer I spent my third year working a month at Bible Camp. I had a blast and enjoyed loving on the kids, teaching God's word, and getting to know the other workers better. Looking back on the time, one thing sticks out to me. One thing that I learned more about. One thing we all experienced the lack and presence of. One thing that is necessary for a successful summer of serving. The one thing is
unity.
Camp Joy's staff this summer numbered about 20. Here's the picture of most of us (minus a few).
And of course, just like any situation, sinners living together can get rough. Admittedly there were points of frustration for each of us. We all bring something different to the table, but that comes with difficulties. Each of those situations are an example of a time we weren't as unified as we could have been. However, there were plenty of situations where we had a strong unified bond. Had that not been true, camp would have fallen apart this summer. We cannot serve well, or possibly at all, without unity amongst the group. And over the weeks, throughout each moment, that became more and more obvious to me.
There is an object lesson we teach to the older groups of kids, in the form of a game. Basically, each team has 3 different roles; catcher, thrower, and picker-upper. Bandannas specify each job, and if you do another's job, you're out. At first, the kids struggle. They don't efficiently play, and sometimes even get frustrated at those with different roles, not doing it as well as they think themselves can. But gradually the kids start to develop strategy, work together, and display unity. Then we take them back into the classroom and explain the point.
In so many ways, it is a great example. It follows a Biblical principle, and is such a clear picture of unity. In
1 Corinthians 12:12-31, Paul is giving examples using a literal body. He depicts scenarios where an ear doubts it's function because it isn't a eye, or a foot believing uselessness because it isn't a hand. Then he explains that without each part, the body would lose some of it's senses and functions. In context, Paul was talking to an audience struggling more with racial and social boundaries(Jews and Greeks, slaves and free)-but the principle can apply to us as well. In the body of Christ, there are many different people with different qualities. We can either use that to spread the Gospel in unique ways and glorify God, or become separated and stagnant.
Another example is
Ephesians 4:1-16. The theme of the whole book of Ephesians is unity, and this section describes it most clearly. It ends with verses 15 and 16 which say
"Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love."
I saw these truths in practice this summer. I saw situations crumble because unity lacked, and I saw some of the best examples of unity I ever have. But the bottom line is that without a selfless love for each other, and a servant's heart, we can't be unified at all.
I'm so thankful for the time I have spent at Camp Joy over the years. I'm thankful for what it's taught me. I'm thankful for the goofy memories. I'm thankful for the ways I've witnessed Jesus working in children's lives. I'm thankful for the awesome people I've met. And most of all I'm thankful for the Gospel that we get to share there. I love that place.
