God and Cultural Diversity

I’ve been away from blogging for awhile because I have again enrolled in Seminary, now I am at Corban University, School of Ministry. I just finished my first semester, and it appears I fared okay. Anyway, one of the assignments in my Ministering Cross-Culturally class was to speak about our impressions of a passage in Revelation 5.

⁹ And they sang a new song:

“You are worthy to take the scroll

and to open its seals,

because you were slain,

and with your blood you purchased men for God

from every tribe and language and people and nation.

¹⁰ You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,

and they will reign on the earth.” ^(NIV)

All From Everywhere

While I don’t want to be trite I can’t help but invoke the tune “I Can Only Imagine” by MercyMe. The gathering described in this section is beyond imagination and instills in me a deep sense of awe and worship. As I think that one day I will be able to worship the Lamb is staggering; what’s more, is thinking about how I will be worshipping with my fellow brothers and sisters in the Lord—astounding! Perhaps this is the core message of the genuine value of cultural diversity, that not only are we all made in the image of God, but that He wills that we are all saved and come unto the knowledge of the truth (1 Tim. 2:4). While not all will be saved, the picture is that God desires that they all be saved, and by “they” I mean all from everywhere, no respecter of persons, no hand-picking, no discrimination, no socioeconomic assessment and on and on….

An inclusive God is patiently waiting to have His family gathered at His throne, what are we (what am I) doing to facilitate that awesome and glorious gathering? And right now, even today, I may very well be the conduit of the Lord that draws another into the family to be at that great and glorious gathering. What, if anything, is standing in the way of me being that conduit? If there is anything standing in the way, eradicate it so one more soul can sing alongside me, “Worthy is the Lamb!”