It has struck me the past couple of days that the more I live "in the box" of my culture and particular worldview the more likely I am to be living outside the Kingdom of God.
I spent several hours in a major airport yesterday in which I was one of only a few non-Muslims. I felt distinctly "other," as an outsider looking into a unique context and culture.
My cultural "box" was being torn apart at the moment and I desperately wanted to be among people just like me. I wanted "sameness" and homogeneity, I wanted to be with people who believe like I do.
Isn't this EXACTLY what we do every day? We cocoon, we create our own "ghettos" so that we can feel safe in a community. Religious people - Jews, Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Hindus - all do this. Most religious people have justification for cocooning with people like themselves. Christian have no justification, because the Kingdom of God is for the "other." The Kingdom of God is ALL about diversity; people from all people groups coming to God through Jesus.
More and more I am convinced that followers of Jesus are called to be minorities, to live in the midst of diversity rather than dispelling it. Growth comes in the stretching of our boxes, or perhaps asking God to redraw the box.
My cultural "box" was being torn apart at the moment and I desperately wanted to be among people just like me. I wanted "sameness" and homogeneity, I wanted to be with people who believe like I do.
Isn't this EXACTLY what we do every day? We cocoon, we create our own "ghettos" so that we can feel safe in a community. Religious people - Jews, Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Hindus - all do this. Most religious people have justification for cocooning with people like themselves. Christian have no justification, because the Kingdom of God is for the "other." The Kingdom of God is ALL about diversity; people from all people groups coming to God through Jesus.
More and more I am convinced that followers of Jesus are called to be minorities, to live in the midst of diversity rather than dispelling it. Growth comes in the stretching of our boxes, or perhaps asking God to redraw the box.
beautifully said, Brian.
ReplyDeletereally encouraging after a week of feeling very much the minority. thanks Brian.
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