“Is this the same place?”

February 28, 2008
Thursday

Acts 14

As our journey through Turkey progressed, and we stopped at some of the places that are mentioned in today’s reading about Paul’s first missionary journey with Barnabas, we were amazed at the different landscapes we seeing. We traveled through deserts, mountains, lakes, along coastlines, past cities, villages, and empty spaces. Each place was unique, was different though all had common things that they shared. There was family, community, land, the air that they breathed, and the sun that shone down on them. I would imagine that they even had similar conversations around the supper table or at the local market, though the names would have reflected local folks for that region. As I think back, maybe that was part of the learning for us, that we needed to see other parts of the world so that we could see their uniqueness but also understand our commonalities.
How often do we think that everyone is like us? When we worship together and I mention “the body of Christ” does the image include people from Cappadocia, Lystra, Perge? Does it include folks from China, Africa, Mexico, or even Canada?
Traveling, reading, listening, and sharing are all ways in which we can come to understand not only the many different landscapes of the Kingdom of God but also the many ways in which we are united, though far apart.
Today’s challenge is to expand our understanding of God’s Kingdom and to see how we are all loved by God. For if we do, there is hope for peace on earth.