Growing up and not understanding some things as I do now, I often felt sad and left out concerning culture. I noticed the various things that other cultures have which makes them interesting. Their songs, dances, language, and their togetherness and support for one another.
When the color of my skin determined my sense of culture and belonging, I had very little. My earthly nationality/state origin/family heritage/etc. left me lacking as well. But after becoming a believer in Jesus and a follower of Him, I was transformed into a new creature. A royal priesthood. A holy nation. A peculiar people. A set apart people.
I taught my family today how we as believers in Jesus are a unique and transformed people, set apart for God and distinct from other nations, peoples, and cultures. We have our own God, our own culture, our own Book, our own Language, our own Law (of the Spirit), our own King, our own Country, our own Dances, our own Songs, our own Customs, our own Bread, our own Wine, our own Water, our own Purpose, our own History, our own Leaders, our own Failures, and our own Future. And we need each other.
We are (especially in the Western segment of our diaspora) wholesale forgetting who we are, where we've come from, what our culture is, and why we are here. We often look and act and talk and think and believe and do just as any of the others would. We are moving rapidly away from where we ought to be. We must fulfill why we are here and not be assimilated into the nations and peoples of the World. We are called to be among other peoples, but not to become other peoples. Quite the opposite. We are ambassadors sent to represent our God and our Nation before all and make the offer of invitation for Citizenship known. So, we must honor our God and strengthen our culture of faith amongst one another.
We are (especially in the Western segment of our diaspora) wholesale forgetting who we are, where we've come from, what our culture is, and why we are here. We often look and act and talk and think and believe and do just as any of the others would. We are moving rapidly away from where we ought to be. We must fulfill why we are here and not be assimilated into the nations and peoples of the World. We are called to be among other peoples, but not to become other peoples. Quite the opposite. We are ambassadors sent to represent our God and our Nation before all and make the offer of invitation for Citizenship known. So, we must honor our God and strengthen our culture of faith amongst one another.
Our God has told us in our Book:
1 Peter 2:9
But ye [are] a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light
1 Peter 2:9
But ye [are] a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light
1 comments:
Amen!
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