美國德州郊區的巴爾索拉浸信會（Balsora Baptist Church）遭大火燒毀。火勢平息後，緊急救援人員與社區居民聚在一起，赫然發現一個十字架矗立在煙霧和灰燼中，十字架雖被燒得焦黑，卻依然屹立不倒。一名消防員評論道：「大火燒毀了建築物，但沒有燒毀十字架。這提醒我們，建築物只是建築物，而教會則是聚集的會眾。」

教會不是一棟建築物，而是一個藉著基督在十字架受死、埋葬，然後復活，而聯合在一起的群體。耶穌在世上時曾告訴彼得，祂要建立普世性的教會，並且沒有任何事物能摧毀這教會（馬太福音16章18節）。耶穌會聚集來自世界各地的基督徒成為一個群體，並且世世代代、綿延不絕。他們會面臨極大的困難，但他們終將堅持下去。上帝會藉著聖靈住在他們裡面，並且扶持他們（以弗所書2章22節）。

當我們對地方教會感到失望時，比如說，發現努力建立的教會停滯不前、死氣沉沉，或是看到教堂被毀損，或是擔心在世界其他地方陷入困境的信徒，我們應當謹記耶穌仍然活著，並且祂會隨時幫助上帝的子民堅忍到底。時至今日，耶穌還在建造教會，而你我就是其中的一分子。祂與我們同在並幫助我們，祂的十字架永遠長存。

A fire burned Balsora Baptist Church to the ground. As emergency workers and community members gathered after the blaze subsided, they were surprised to see a charred cross standing upright amidst the smoke and ashes in the air. A firefighter commented that the fire “took the structure, but not the cross. [This is a reminder] that the building was just that, a building. The church is the congregation.”

The church is not a building, but a community united by the cross of Christ—the One who died, was buried, and rose again. When Jesus lived on earth, He told Peter He’d build His worldwide church, and nothing would destroy it (Matthew 16:18). Jesus would gather believers from all over the globe into a group that would continue throughout time. This community would face intense difficulty, but they’d ultimately endure. God would dwell within them and sustain them (Ephesians 2:22).

When we struggle to establish local churches only to have them stagnate and sputter, when buildings are destroyed, or when we’re concerned about believers struggling in other parts of the world, we can remember that Jesus is alive, actively enabling God’s people to persevere. We’re part of the church He’s building today. He’s with us and for us. His cross remains.