Letter to the Congregations: 25th July 2026

Our dear brethren,

I grabbed my toothbrush, ran it under the cold tap water, applied my favorite toothpaste, and began to brush. I had just arrived back into the country after an extended post-Feast trip with a close friend of mine. We had known each other since we were teenagers and after that trip I felt like I had learned so much more about my friend. We didn’t always see eye to eye on everything, but we still had plenty in common and were definitely able to work well together and enjoy each other’s company through all sorts of adventures. At that point, I would say we knew most things about each other, maybe even everything! But then my friend did something that, for some reason, baffled me and made me question how much I really knew about him. He used warm water on his toothbrush instead of the refreshing cold water I enjoyed!

Thankfully that one small difference wasn’t enough to drive a wedge in our relationship. To this day we are still friends and still enjoy spending time together through all sorts of adventures. The realization I came to in that moment was that sometimes people do things differently, and that’s okay. But that one simple moment has stayed with me all these years. At its core, it was a realization about trying to look at things from the perspective of others. Everyone in the world has their own viewpoint and has had different experiences as they’ve grown, even if they’ve ended up in the same place at the same time doing the same thing as others around them.

There are a couple of statements that the apostle Paul has made in Scripture that help remind me to look at situations from the standpoint of another person. One such passage is found in Paul’s first letter to the congregation in Corinth:

“For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you” (1 Corinthians 9:19-23).

In his life as an apostle preaching the gospel of the kingdom to many peoples in different places, Paul did his best to relate to the circumstances of other people. He often looked at their backgrounds, their needs and desires, the environment they lived in, and other aspects of their lives so he might better be able to help them understand the truth of God. Of course, I should also note that he did this without compromising his own personal convictions.

Another statement Paul wrote in this same book further reminds me to look at what is beneficial for other people even if it isn’t necessarily the way I would do things: “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify. Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being” (1 Corinthians 10:23-24).

Since that fateful tooth-brushing moment I shared with my friend all those years ago, I’ve had the opportunity to see more places around the world, to see how other people live, and to learn about the struggles that others go through in life. I continue to learn that not everyone thinks like I do. Another person’s solution to a problem might not be the same as mine but it might accomplish the same task. It’s a lesson I hope to keep learning as I grow and mature, and as I continue meeting brethren from various parts of the world. We might not all have the same experiences and background (or water temperature preferences) but we can still strive alongside one another seeking the same kingdom of God.

Our love is with you,

Lewis VanAusdle

Pastor, United Church of God

NYC, NJ, CT, Malawi, Zimbabwe