by Robert C. Frank
We live in a far better world today. When Rhoda and I looked out over the city of Bethlehem during our visit to Israel twenty years ago, Luke’s story about the birth of Jesus brought many questions. Questions like, “How is, what we see in our world today, related to the event that took place that night over two thousand years ago?” As the years have passed since our visit, I have come to understand that Jesus was the ultimate servant leader who taught his followers by example how to work together to relieve suffering. His death and resurrection also brought forgiveness that removed the stress of guilt and healed human relations.
After his death and resurrection, his followers spread the good news throughout the middle-east and then north into Europe. Later it was brought to America. In the 20th and 21st century it spread in Africa and to Asia where it is now growing rapidly in China. His followers, who I think of as Christ’s Team, gradually increased to over 2 billion, the largest and potentially the most influential team on earth. It is part of God’s continuing creation.
Jesus’ legacy is the human teamwork that fostered the advancement of education and scientific research that is such an important part of our current civilization. He taught his followers to love God and love each other and showed them by example that teamwork makes love functional.
Christmas, that celebrates the birth of Jesus is a wonderful time to teach the children that teamwork produces happiness.
Robert C. Frank
Author of Christ’s Team
