When the Church Builds Tables Instead of Fences

Years ago, I came across a story that struck me deeply. It was about a professional cycling team, one of the best in the world, fully equipped with top-tier gear, exceptional training, and the strongest riders. They were the clear favorites to win. Yet somewhere along the way, two of the lead cyclists began to argue over strategy. Pride crept in. Trust began to unravel. Slowly, the team fractured. They did not just lose the race. They lost their unity. What the world remembered was not the strength of their legs or the quality of their equipment. It was the moment they turned on each other.

That image has stayed with me for years because, sadly, the Church can sometimes resemble that broken team. We are called to run this race of faith together, to carry one another, to lift each other up, and to love beyond our preferences. But if we are not careful, we begin to divide over style, personality, maturity, or imperfection. When this happens, we cease to reflect Christ and begin to mirror the world.

Romans 15 verse 7 exhorts us, “Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.” This is not a suggestion but a divine mandate. We are not merely asked to tolerate each other. We are called to welcome one another, to draw near, to open our hearts, and to make room for those who may not act, think, or worship as we do. Every person bears intrinsic value in the sight of God, even if they are still maturing, still struggling, still finding their way.

One of the most poignant biblical examples of this principle is the story of John Mark. In Acts chapter 13, we learn that John Mark left Paul and Barnabas and returned to Jerusalem. Scripture does not tell us why. Perhaps he was afraid or simply overwhelmed. Whatever the reason, Paul was deeply disappointed. Later in Acts chapter 15, when Barnabas wanted to give John Mark a second chance, Paul strongly disagreed. Their conflict became so intense that Paul and Barnabas parted ways, two spiritual giants separated by their inability to agree over someone who had failed.

But time reveals God’s redemptive power. Near the end of Paul’s life, in Second Timothy chapter 4 verse 11, Paul writes, “Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry.” John Mark had grown. Paul had changed. The God who restores had healed what was once broken. The man Paul once rejected became someone he called useful.

This story reminds us that failure is not final. The very people we are tempted to dismiss may one day be the ones God uses most powerfully. We do not get to declare someone’s story finished. Only God holds that authority.

Sometimes we confuse preferences with principles. We assume someone must worship like us, teach like us, or live like us to be accepted. But the Scriptures never command us to create a uniform Christian experience. Jesus handpicked twelve disciples who were radically different. Peter was bold and impulsive. Thomas was skeptical. Matthew was a former tax collector, once employed by Rome. Simon the Zealot had once actively resisted Rome. These men, under any other circumstance, would have been enemies. Yet Jesus brought them together. He did not ask them to be the same. He asked them to follow Him together.

Unity is not about uniformity. It is about alignment. And what we align to is not a preference or a personality but the person of Jesus Christ.

I am reminded of the older brother in the parable of the Prodigal Son. The father joyfully welcomes his wayward son with open arms, but the older brother refuses to join the celebration. His heart has grown cold. He says, “All these years I’ve served you, and you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends.” The father responds, “It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive. He was lost, and is found.”

This portion of the parable is often overlooked, yet it carries a vital lesson. It is possible to be physically close to the house of God and yet be distant from the heart of God. If grace does not flow through us, then it has not fully transformed us.

The Church is not a stage for performance. It is a body, and Paul reminds us in Ephesians chapter 4 verse 16 that the body is joined and held together by every supporting ligament. It builds itself up in love as each part does its work. This means every person has significance. The pastor matters. The janitor matters. The child who has just learned to pray matters. The new believer who still stumbles in understanding matters. Even the one who used to fall every month but now stands one week longer than before matters. In the Church, we do not measure people by where they are on the journey. We value them because of who they are in Christ.

When the enemy succeeds in dividing us, he weakens us. But when we remain connected in Christ, bound by love, no weapon formed against us shall prosper. We are not called to criticize each other. We are called to carry one another. Carrying one another sometimes means walking more slowly. It sometimes means surrendering our need to be right. It always means choosing love over pride.

How then do we live this out? We begin by listening before speaking. We extend grace to those who fall short. We pray for those who challenge us. We celebrate incremental growth in others. And we humbly remember that we too are still being sanctified. None of us have arrived. We are all being shaped by the hand of God, and that shaping is meant to happen in community.

There is a story of a farmer whose fence was destroyed by a storm. When his neighbor asked if they should rebuild the fence, the farmer replied, “No. Let’s not build a fence. Let’s build a table.” And so they did. Week after week, their families gathered around that table to share meals, laughter, and life. What once separated them became the place that united them.

What if we did the same? What if the broken places in the Church became tables instead of barriers? What if we sat together rather than stood apart? What if we walked toward people instead of away from them?

Jesus said, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” It is not by our preaching, our buildings, or our programs, but by our love. That is how the world will know Christ is among us.

Let us love deeply. Let us remain united. Let us run this race side by side, knowing that God sees every heart, hears every prayer, and cherishes every person, regardless of where they are on the journey.

We do not turn our backs, because Christ never turned His back on us. And He never will.

Danny M. Ku

Become the Change Ministry

Changing the World One Person at a Time