From a Garden to a City
Kobus Genis
CreateSpace, 2015
“A fly-half is crucial to a team’s game plan; they possess leadership and order the back line. They … need to be decisive with what actions to take and be effective at communicating with the outside backs. Good fly-halves are calm, clear thinking and have the vision to direct effective attacking plays.”—Wikipedia.com
Not to push it too far, but this definition of a rugby position could be used for a pastor or preacher. Kobus Genis is indeed those things, and played fly-half in his school days in South Africa. Along with being the minister at Westminster, Calgary, he is the author of several Bible studies.
His latest is From a Garden to a City, a daily devotional that touches upon all the books of the Bible over the course of 365 days. A minister since 1992, Genis approaches each day’s meditation on three levels: First, to read and understand the passage. Second, to apply the message to current realities. And, third, to communicate that message in our daily lives. It’s a classic structure, of course, born of a fly-half, calm and clear.
When asked for two samples that might speak to the issues at General Assembly, Genis provided these two: one about food and one about hospitality. Now that’s keeping the Bible alive. —Andrew Faiz
Romans 14
1-3 Accept those whose faith is weak. Don’t judge them where you have differences of opinion.
It is sad when Christians fight among themselves—usually about trivial matters! However, should Christians always agree about everything?
In Paul’s day, the believers differed among themselves on what food was pure and what food was impure. Some believers only ate vegetables, because they considered all other food impure. According to these believers, the other Christians were committing sin by eating the so-called impure food. Paul referred to these believers as weak, because they did not realize that they were free and could eat any food they wished.
Although Paul spoke to both groups, he agreed with the strong ones. He asked them to accept the weak ones and not to despise them. The strong ones could win the argument that all food was pure but could lose the person. It was therefore good not to get involved in such unnecessary arguments. Paul also instructed the weak believers, who considered all kinds of things sinful, not to judge the believers who differed from them in their beliefs.
A wonderful explanation then follows: “God has accepted them.” Even today, believers have different opinions on moral issues (such as abortion, gambling and homosexuality) and dogmatic issues (such as baptism). The challenge is to disagree without being disagreeable. Let’s learn to accept one another and not condemn each other … because God has accepted us!
“In essentials, unity; in differences, liberty; in all things, charity.”—Philipp Melanchthon
Acts 16
14-16 After Lydia and her family were baptized, she kept on begging us, ‘If you think I really do have faith in the Lord, come stay in my home.’ Finally, we accepted her invitation.
This section describes Paul and his friends’ first missionary journey to Europe. They go to the city of Philippi, a very important town in Macedonia (today in the northern part of Greece). Paul always visited the synagogue when he visited a new city. However, Philippi did not have a synagogue, because few Jews lived there. So Paul and his friends went to the river on the Sabbath, because they thought they could find a place of worship there. While there at the river, something wonderful happened.
Paul and his friends felt like strangers on their first outreach to Europe. In the city of Philippi (northern Greece) Lydia, a trader in expensive purple woolen cloth became the first convert of Europe.
After her conversion, she immediately showed hospitality towards Paul and his friends by begging them to stay at her house. The Bible places a high value on hospitality (Romans 12:13). Hospitality means, “love of strangers.”
Even businesses understand the importance of hospitality. Danny Meyer is one of the most famous restaurateurs in New York City. He attributes his success not just to the quality of the food, but to the attention he places on hospitality. His book’s title, Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business, speaks for itself.
Meyer says everyone wants great service. However, there is a difference between service—someone doing what they’re supposed to do—versus hospitality.
According to Meyer, service doesn’t say anything about how someone made you feel. Hospitality does. Hospitality as presented to us in the Bible is not merely a practice. Instead, it is a way of life.
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
—Maya Angelou
