Now, as we have become members of Grace Outreach Center and as we get to know more people personally, we get asked a lot of questions about our culture and our faith in Christ. But at the end of our conversation, we realise that we can identify with each other because we share this unique relationship with Christ. Our skin colour is different; we have cultural differences; we think differently, but because we are washed by the blood of Jesus, we have the same purpose; we have the same values and priorities. It’s a beautiful picture of the Body of Christ that people from different nations come together to worship Him. “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28)
I believe this is just a small glimpse of what heaven will be like, when nations and tribes stand in God’s Presence in unison. “After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb.” (Revelation 7:9)
Across the globe, God speaks to His people through His powerful, unchanging Word. It amazes me to think that God’s Word, which was written centuries ago, is still relevant to everyone, irrespective of culture, nation and time period.
On the other hand, it pains me to see ‘exclusive churches’. We have created divisions in the Church for the sake of denominations, nationalities, languages and even castes (at least the caste doesn’t feature in the name of the church)! ‘Korean church’ or ‘African church’ or ‘Indian church’, for example, is an oxymoron! In a way, isn’t that racism within the Church? A church is supposed to be inclusive of everyone. Of course, such churches might exist for different purposes and I am not to judge their motives. But if we can work, ride and shop with people from other countries, what stops us from worshipping God together with people from other countries? “But, there’s the language barrier, especially for those who are new to church” you may say. You might want to read again what happened on the day of Pentecost:
“Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. Utterly amazed, they asked: “Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Lybia near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs – we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” (Acts 2:5-11) That’s the power of God! They didn’t each have a church in their own language. People speaking different languages came together as one. For these foreigners, it would have been like it would be for me to hear an American preach or testify in Tamil! But, that’s the way the Spirit of God works when we come together in unity. So, instead of human methods, let us allow the work of God's Spirit.
“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who believe in me through their message that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.” (John 17:20,21) Why don’t you and I be the answer to Jesus’ heartfelt prayer? As believers in the Lord Jesus, let us stand united. Let the One thing that unites us be the Blood of Jesus Christ, not just denomination, language, nationality, native place, caste or any other man-made interests.
