Pepper is a dog, and Amiga is a cat. Pepper wags his tail and dances on his back legs; Amiga arches her back and rubs her head against the man’s leg. Pepper barks and tells the world what he knows; Amiga purrs and keeps her thoughts to herself. We are not surprised by these differences. One is, after all, canine, while the other is feline, and they each act the way God created them to behave.  

However, in spite of their differences, Pepper and Amiga have found areas of common interest. They share the same sunny spot on a cold winter day. They relish food from the same bowl on the back porch, and they both enjoy being scratched behind the ears.  

People who enjoy interacting with other people look for areas of common interest. That is why many conversations open with a discussion of weather— sunshine and clouds, rain and snow, heat and cold affect us all. Farmers discuss crops, outdoorsmen swap hunting stories, and seamstresses compare fabrics.  

The most important common ground* anyone can have with another person is a love for the Lord. It is a beautiful thing to see two or more believers with their Bibles open, discussing the Word of God. How many opportunities to share this rich blessing slip by us while we discuss weather with a stranger, neglecting to steer the conversation toward spiritual realities. Let us actively seek out this area of mutual interest. Let us bask in it and relish it. It is a joy that Pepper and Amiga will never know.  

Blest be the tie that binds 
Our hearts in Christian love: 
The fellowship of kindred minds 
Is like to that above. 
—John Fawcett 

* Common ground may be defined as “an area of overlapping interest.”  

From Paws on My Porch, by Gary Miller
© 2015 TGS International, PO Box 355, Berlin, Ohio 44610
Used by permission