March 31
Hives and Tribes
The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him.” News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee. ––Mark 1: 27-28
Bees are cool. I could list 100 fascinating things about bees, but will just give you one: In the UK they are creating B-Lines, which are a series of “insect pathways” running through the countryside and towns. They link existing wildlife areas together, creating a network, like a railway, that will weave across the British landscape.
In today’s digital era, the same thing takes place every second of every day: pathways connecting people all around the globe. I actually believe the Internet could be the greatest tool to advance the Gospel since Guttenberg invented the printing press nearly 600 years ago. Even 15 years ago who could have predicted that a Yanomami hunter deep in the Amazon rainforest would be able to chat regularly on his cell phone with relatives in Rio. (Getting Amazon delivery deep in the Amazon? That’s another story.)
Man of God, in keeping with the bee theme, each of us has the capacity to affect the hives God has connected us with. Just like the honey bee, we drink from the nectar of God’s Word and fellowship, and then bring that “powerful pollen” with us back to the hives we live in—our families, friends, workplace, and where we meet virtually with people online.
You have a powerful assignment: take the pollen of Christ’s love to hives and tribes you would not otherwise have been able to reach before the digital era. But never forget that people are watching you who are not yet believers in Jesus––by your Facebook posts, Instagram photos, and the YouTube stuff you share.
Know that we have been given an immense honor and responsibility to cross-pollinate other gardens and hives, and to take Christ’s love to the furthest corners of our respective worlds. It’s not enough to simply gather the pollen and then hoard your own honey—we are called to move across the “B-Lines” that God is building in our lives.
(Oh, and plant some plants and flowers for the bees—and watch them pollinate.)
Lord, open my eyes to the witness I have for calling You Father. Help me to cross-pollinate and spread Your love, grace, and mercy wherever I go today—both geographically and digitally.
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https://www.wwf.org.uk/learn/fascinating-facts/bees