Sharing Your Slice of the Pie

Apples are one of the most cultivated tree fruits in the world. There are thousands of cultivars of apples. Apples are bred for various uses, including fresh eating, cooking and cider production. When helping people choose which apple trees to plant in their yard I always start with the question, “What are you going to use the apples for?” My experience has been that most people plant apple trees primarily for cooking purposes. Our conversations generally end up comparing apple pie recipes. I was always amazed at how many versions of a simple apple pie there were. 

My mother was a master at homemade pies. Watching her roll out a crust was much like watching a potter spinning a blob of clay into beautiful vase. The crust always rolled out perfectly the first time for mom. We had Granny Smith and Macintosh trees in the back yard. She peeled and sliced the apples by hand, and yet each slice was perfectly thin. She thickened the filling with flour, not corn starch. I have no idea how much sugar she used because she never measured it. But I do know it was white sugar, not brown. She added a slight pinch of cinnamon, but no nutmeg or ginger.

It occurred to me the other day that the Church is very much like an apple pie. Our buildings are sometimes traditional with stained glass windows and sometimes contemporary. We have various styles of music and our doctrines vary. Some even disagree as to which Bible translation to use. However, we all agree that Jesus Christ is the son of God. He was born of a virgin, crucified and died on a cross, and three days later He rose again. 

There are millions of people who are lost, hurting and dying all around us. No matter which recipe of “apple pie” we prefer, it is still apple pie. God’s Word is still truth. Jesus is still the Savior of the world. We are all brothers and sisters; we are family. My prayer today is that we keep our eyes focused on the One who is our hope, our refuge, and our source of strength. We have a job to do. Let’s put aside our tastes in “apple pie” and share our slice with the people around us who have never tasted it. 

“It doesn’t matter if you are a Greek or a Jew, or if you are circumcised or not. You may even be a barbarian or a Scythian, and you may be a slave or a free person. Yet Christ is all that matters, and He lives in all of us.” (Colossians 3:11)