Red, Yellow, Black, and White

One thing I love about our pastor is his love of internationals. Almost nothing excites him more than to worship with Christians from other countries. So, as one church closed its doors, he gladly welcomed to our church the African members, from Burundi, and the couple that ministered to them. This morning, Africans from various countries, now living in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and other parts of Michigan, visited our church to participate in singing, preaching, and interpreting what was said into other languages.

Oswald Chambers said: "The missionary of the Cross is not first a British or an American subject, but a Christian."

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could see ourselves this way? If we felt a greater alliance to our brothers and sisters in Christ than we do to our national politics? If we viewed our cultural differences with loving humour as we would a sibling's quirks; we may laugh at our differences, but will stand together for our family honour, to respect our Father's name?

In reality, we have eternal commonality with Christians of every skin tone and language, but only fleeting acquaintance with our countrymen and women who are unbelievers.

As the strange congregation gathered around Yeshua in Revelation 5 sang:

"Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation." (v 9)

That's us! What a beautiful rainbow of colours worshiping around the throne of God.

Let's focus on the big picture. Yes, it's important to take our obligations seriously as citizens of the nations God has placed us. But let's not forget, this is temporal. The souls of those saved and those who will be saved as we share the Good News are eternal.

And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. (Hebrews 11:13b-16)

The best investment is the one that will last forever.

Unity vs. Unanimity

Growing up in the church, I've seen what disagreements can do to a congregation. For some reason, our western churches, or at least those in the U.S., feel we should avoid disagreements. If people cannot agree on everything, then those who think differently start their own church, go to a church they agree with, or begin a new denomination.

Where did the idea begin that unity meant never disagreeing?

One definition of unity that I feel best reflects the biblical idea is this: something whole or complete formed by combining or joining separate things or entities.

Someone once pointed out the diversity of Jesus' disciples: zealots (fighting against Rome), tax collectors (working for Rome), and fishermen (paying the taxes to Rome). The miracle of their unity lay in their following Jesus.

However, many times Jesus had to break up their arguments. What caused the friction? Pride. Jesus kept reminding them that it wasn't about them. After the ascension and the coming of the Holy Spirit, the somewhat cowardly, often prideful disciples became the courageous apostles spreading the Good News to the world and (most) dying for their faith.

What made the difference?

Although they had been with Jesus, they had not yet been changed by Jesus. Once their sins were paid for and they became filled with the Holy Spirit, their contemplations went from self-ward to God-ward. They saw disagreements as a means for improvement (as my Pastor pointed out from Acts 6:1-7). When all the Christians desired God's glory and the salvation of souls, their individual tastes and opinions became secondary (Acts 4:32-35).

Proberbs 27:17 says, "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." How does iron sharpen iron? By the friction of rubbing the two pieces together. One of the best ways for our own sharp edges to be shaped is by dealing with people who annoy or disagree with us.

Jesus said, "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them" (Luke 6:32). And to His followers He said, "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:35).

Being cleansed by Jesus and having love for one another is how Christians become "something whole or complete formed by combining or joining separate things or entities" or, I would add, quirks and personalities.

The apostle Paul said, "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone" (Romans 12:18). This verse infers that if you do nothing, there will not be peace. Peace is the action taken against the natural result of division. Solving differences of opinion is part of creating peace.

James explains how we are to view our internal struggle for our own way.

But if you harbour bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice (3:14-16).

Instead, James lays the framework in which we should deal with differences.

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness (3:17-18).

And how do we obtain this wisdom?

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him (James 1:5).

Instead of viewing differences as a cause for parting, let's begin to think constructively about what God can do in and through us as we seek His wisdom, react in love, and pursue peace.

A Tribute to My Roommate

I learned many things in college. One expects to, of course, but I found I learned as much outside of the classroom and books, as inside. One of my most important lessons came through my roommate, Karli.

Karli and I were roommate my first full year away at school and were from very different backgrounds, as well as personalities. Early on, we had a fairly bitter argument over doctrines of the end times. I realized later that our ignorance made us passionate about our own view. Our fear of losing made us dogmatic without reason.

Thankfully, it did not take us too long to realize that the doctrines we clung to had valid points on both sides and wishing our own viewpoint to be the truth did not make us right. We agreed on the essentials that Scripture makes black and white--Jesus: God's Son, our Saviour. We agreed He is coming again at an unknown hour to take us Home, if we are His and remain alive. And, we discovered, that it was our hearts and our love for one another that He cared for more than whether the I's were dotted correctly and our T's crossed.

We remained roommates till we graduated. One of the things I admire most about Karli is her open, loving heart. I still have lessons from her I need to learn today, but am thankful for those years and the lesson to not let the little things divide what the essential truths in Jesus would unite.