You pull out of your driveway, noting the U-Haul a few doors down. Your youngest is in the backseat glued to the tablet, and the teenager beside you is texting away. On your way into town, you pass a Catholic school, Methodist church, or Chinese restaurant. At the store, the cashier greets you with a vague accent. On the radio, you discover a Spanish station. At home, you hear news from various parts of the country and world.
Diversity is all around us, not as a political agenda or forced policy, but as a natural expression of God’s beauty. He made us all different and loves us all the same.
Whether its location, age, religious affiliation, culture, ethnicity, or language, you and I are surrounded by those unlike us.
Your new neighbors could be from a nearby town, another state, or distant country. While your kids exist in a technological world, your parents might struggle to navigate their screens. The town you live in has its unique population, demographic, and selection of restaurants and businesses.
One thing I’ve noticed is that, even in settings when I resemble the group of people I’m with, there are many variations among us. Different “culture” could simply mean someone likes to bake and knows a lot about it, while I am not seasoned in that department. To me, this brilliant multiplicity speaks to God’s sovereignty.
And He [God] made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place. – Acts 17:26, ESV
Not only that, but we all have a commonality. The following verse states every human’s purpose: “that they should seek God.” For, “‘In Him we live and move and have our being,’ … and ‘we are indeed His offspring’” (verse 28).
I love that! No matter where we come from, what we look like, or how we dress, we are bound together in this one quality. We speak an assortment of languages, celebrate distinct holidays, and uphold varying values; yet we are all human, in need of the same Savior.
Romans 3 explains, “All, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, as it is written: ‘None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God … There is no distinction: all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (verses 9-11, 23).
God’s Provision: Praise God, we have a High Priest who knows us and made Himself like us! Jesus, Son of God, is able to sympathize with our weaknesses and give us confidence to approach Him (Hebrews 4:14-16).
Word of the Week: Reconciliation. God declares us right in His eyes when we place our faith in Jesus Christ, enabling us to share that good news and new life with others. We’ve “been there” and can relate to our brothers and sisters in mercy.
The Kingdom of God is upon us. May the Lord mold me into a compassionate conduit of His truth and love!
