Bethany Well

Back in 1996, I went to a Missions trip to Shanghai, China. During our debrief period, we took an 18 hour train ride (that took 24 hours) to Beijing.

We did a bunch of sightseeing including Tiananmen Square (somber), Temple of Heaven (ornate), Summer Palace (huge), and Maidonglao (McDonald’s).

But the place that I was looking forward to the most was the Great Wall of China. We had an opportunity to choose which Great Wall we wanted to visit: the restored Great Wall or the original Great Wall. Luckily, we were persuaded (by me) to visit the Original.

There was something profound and ponderous about sitting on a wall that had been built millenia before me. It took longer to drive to. We had to climb through shrubs to get to it. The steps were ridiculously steep. It wasn’t as pretty (and certainly more dangerous) as the rebuilt wall. But it was the authenticity of the Wall that made it profound. It was the knowledge that these stones were carried and laid here by people that had long since passed on that led to it’s impact. Rather than a reconstructed version that was better suited to sell souvenirs and keepsakes. There was something undeniably real about this wall.

I was reminded about the Great Wall of China this week because of a conversation that I had with someone. I was challenging this person to be authentic in their community at church. For too long, they had chosen the safe route and kept people at a distance. Is it any wonder that they had not felt like a part of the church community? They had not connected with anyone in any authentic way. You cannot be part of a community unless you let the community be a part of you. To choose to be real, no matter how hard or risky that may be.

It might take longer to get there… you might have to climb through some pretty thorn thicket to get there… it won’t be as pretty… and it’s certainly more dangerous. But it the authenticity that makes it profound.

So, if you are presented with the choice of being real and authentic in your community or hiding under the safety of public perception and platitudes, then choose Authenticity.

And, if you have a chance to see the Great Wall of China… choose Authenticity.

To read more of Pastor Richard’s blog posts, check out his blog at www.richleeblessed.com.

Written by: RjL on October 8, 2009.