This summer our family had the opportunity to vacation with some of our extended family in the Bahamas, and we had a great time. While the white beaches were nice, the crystal blue water was beautiful, and the cooler temperatures were a relief, one of my favorite parts of visiting Nassau was the opportunity to meet more of my brothers and sisters in Christ, encourage each other, and worship God together on Sunday at the Highbury Park Church of Christ. When we asked the people at the front desk of the place where we were staying how to get to the address of the church, they said that it was on the other side of the island and that it would take at least 25 minutes to get there; they thought we were quite strange for wanting to go there. We had to charter a special bus to take us, and the ride seemed to last forever; we began to wonder if the driver knew where he was going and if we should have just had a family devotional together in our room. Once we arrived at the church building, several members of the congregation warmly greeted us and asked where we were from and what we were doing in Nassau. Though services were a bit different from what we were used to, the church was perhaps the kindest I have ever visited.

Sometimes we neglect to consider the fact that neither God nor his church is confined by geographic or linguistic boundaries. We often understand church and Christianity only as we have experienced it. Visiting churches in foreign places should enlighten us to the reality and blessing of being a part of a worldwide community of faith. If you ever get the opportunity to visit Nassau, be sure to meet the wonderful Bahamian people at the Highbury Park Church of Christ on the “other side of the island”. And, by the way, after we got back on the bus to leave the church building, we all agreed that we were glad to have chosen the long bus ride and the opportunity to meet more of our spiritual family over the devotional in the room.