A young man took a year out after graduating from college so that he could do some voluntary work abroad. Full of goodwill and enthusiasm he arrived in Africa. Not long after settling in he was walking through the bush and came across a young bull elephant standing with one leg raised in the air. The elephant seemed very distressed so, being very conscious of the need to conserve our wildlife, the man felt compelled to do something.

He approached the animal very carefully and got down on one knee to inspect the elephant's foot. There was a large and vicious thorn deeply embedded in the bottom of the foot. Speaking very soothing words, as carefully and as gently as he could, he worked the thorn out with his hunting knife. The elephant rather gingerly put down its foot and gradually put weight onto it. Then, turning to face the man and with a rather stern look on its face, it stared at him. For a good ten minutes the man stood frozen – wondering what the elephant was going to do, very aware that at any moment he could be trampled to death. Eventually the elephant trumpeted loudly and with a wave of it’s trunk, turned and walked away.

The man never forgot that elephant or the events of that day. Twenty years later the man was walking through the zoo with his teenaged son. As they approached the elephant enclosure, one of the creatures turned and walked over to where they were standing at the rail. The large bull elephant stared at him and lifted its front foot off the ground, then put it down. The elephant did that several times, all the while staring at the man. The man recalled the incident back in Africa and couldn't help wondering, could this be the same elephant. As it continued to stare at him it trumpeted loudly and waved it’s trunk in the air, just the way it had happened before. The man summoned up his courage, climbed over the railing and made his way into the enclosure. He walked right up to the elephant and as their eyes met he reached out to it.
Suddenly the elephant trumpeted again, wrapped its trunk around one of the man's legs and swung him wildly back and forth along the railing, beat him several times on the ground and threw him back over the fence!!!!

Probably wasn't the same elephant.

For better or for worse we often make wrong assumptions. Typically, the media appears always to be very keen to assume the worst in any situation. But then if we always assume the best we can often be disappointed.
From time to time I speak to people who think they know what the Christian Church is all about – but when they come and see or begin to discuss what it is that we really believe and how that impacts the way we live, they often find that they have made wrong assumptions. We are not what they thought we were (for better or for worse! But hopefully for the better.) 

Now that, post holidays, life is getting back into more of a routine for most of us, this could be a good time for you to find out a bit more about who these people are who call themselves ‘the Church’. You won’t get grabbed by the leg and beaten on the floor – you will find a friendly welcome.

Every blessing                       

Graham Robinson