The image used as the header for this posting is a picture of what – I believe – will be one one of the beautiful attributes of heaven. The image shows a black woman, a white woman, and an Asian (Korean) woman showing unconditional love and concern for each other. My friend, Angela, was being prayed over by Kate and Nayoon. It was a beautiful moment and I am glad that I caught it in an image to share with you.
Angela has been dealing with some difficult things that have burdened her heart with sadness. I won’t get into the details, but if you would please pray too, I know she would be grateful. This special prayer time (pictured) happened at one of our “Gatherings” and the whole room full of people prayed with them. This gathering of multicultural believers has become more and more like the image set forth in the New Testament in Acts 2:42-47. We are not exactly like the believers described in that passage of scripture, but we do embody the spirit of what it describes.
This particular evening featured Jared Okoth’s teaching on the Five-Fold ministry model that is referenced in Ephesians 4:11-12. Jared does an outstanding job at presenting this as a powerful model for the church to follow to have healthy growth. Simply put, it is a shared responsibility of serving the local church body and growing the Kingdom through the five giftings listed. Each of the five have their place of service and Christian duty, if you will, that works together with the others to keep the church healthy and growing. Often, in the modern Western church model, these five offices are only partially filled. I could write volumes about why that is the case, but I won’t in this post.
I titled the post “The Way it Should Be” because I have seen division in our nation grow more and more these days and it really IS up to the Church to set a righteous example for the rest of our nation to see. It seems that some people within the political spectrum are determined to keep the fires of racism burning as a way to divide people. Ultimately, I believe it is simply a control mechanism. Who are they trying to control? Why, my friend, all of us. My 2-cents. However, if “church folks” can show the world around us a better Way… a path that leads to Jesus. We can help them find the only real level of equality that matters, embodied in His Kingdom. We who believe are often different in many ways… color, culture, social status, gender, and so on…. but in Jesus, we are ONE, with equal value in the eyes of the Father. Hallelujah!
Ok, I’ll stop for now. I know I get on this subject quite often. I suppose it is because as I have aged, I realize how important it is to make an effort to get to know believers who are different from you… to stretch your own limits and sensibilities… to embrace the whole Kingdom that God has created. Amen.
