I’ve “kind of” moved to Chicago. It’s not intended to be permanent—only until we remodel and rent three vacant rental units there—but returning to Indiana to attend church on Sunday has become impractical, so I found a congregation five minutes away. It’s New Life Community Church’s Midway Campus. This church has multiple locations throughout the Chicago area; it’s senior pastor is Mark Jobe, who is Moody Bible Institute’s 10th president and host of Moody Radio’s Bold Steps.
“…You are worthy…For You were slaughtered, and Your blood has ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. And You have caused them to become a Kingdom of priests for our God. And they will reign on the earth.” (Revelation 5:9-10 NLT)
But going there has brought into sharper focus for me, personally, how isolating it can be to live for an extended time in a cocooned community like the one I spent the last thirty years in—and how God really did mean “all nations” when He commanded His disciples to spread the Gospel to everyone:
“Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything that I’ve commanded you. Look, I myself will be with you every day until the end of this present age.” (Matthew 28:19-20 CEB)
When I was growing up here, the neighborhood was working-class Caucasian, primarily of Polish and Lithuanian ancestry, with an occasional Hispanic family. But Chicago is unfortunately a peculiar city, with a history of segregated communities; throughout my childhood and adolescent years “white flight” to nicer, newer suburbs caused this area to become now primarily Hispanic.
Today the children’s bell choir performed. It reminded me of when our youngest—then probably eight or so—sang in a children’s choir for a Christmas concert. Parents were video recording on their phones; it looked like some had actually come just to see their children on stage. All of the little ones—each and every one of them—were someone’s precious child.
That’s how God looks at the multiple ethnicities on this earth: each is precious to Him, and He calls His church out of every tribe and nation. He doesn’t look at my skin; He looks at my heart—at whether I repent and believe in the forgiveness I have through Jesus! And in eternity, His people—from all over our world—will be worshipping Him forever:
“After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands. And they were shouting with a great roar, ‘Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne and from the Lamb!’” (Revelation 7:9-10 NLT)
I think we sometimes forget that. We forget that not only do we have brothers and sisters in Christ who basically look identical to us, we also have those whose skin is a little lighter or darker; whose features are slightly different; whose hair is a somewhat different color or texture; whose mouth, eyes, nose are not quite like mine—and it all makes for variety and interest! God calls every ethnicity to Himself—Hispanics, Caucasians, African Americans, Chinese, Ethiopians, Indians, Israelis, Palestinians, and all others—and all those who believe the good news of forgiveness through His Son, Jesus Christ belong to Him:
“You are all God’s children through faith in Christ Jesus. All of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek; there is neither slave nor free; nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”(Galatians 3:26-28 CEB)
As I worship here, I’m in the minority ethnically. But we’re all worshipping the same true God, and His Spirit is working in hearts and minds. So even though I may not look exactly like many of the people here, spiritually—I’m with my family in Christ; they are my brothers and sisters, and the same Spirit is at work in us all!
Dear Lord God,
Help me not forget that You paid sin’s penalty for all—help me love everyone with the love You love me with! Amen.
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