| “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” |
| —Galatians 3:28 |
Over the past eighteen years, and even more particularly over the past fourteen years, here in the United States we have become a nation severely divided. At the same time, some individuals have fostered a strong push for the celebration of “diversity, equity, and inclusion.” This is a startling change from the days in which I grew up, beginning 75 years ago.
In those long ago days, we celebrated the fact that the United States was a “great melting pot” where people from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds had immigrated to this soil and, while retaining all of the best parts of their own cultures, had purposely and cheerfully melted into the woven fabric of our great nation, adding new, varied colored “threads” that enriched us all. We honored the past, but put far more emphasis on what the future might hold.
Part of that melting pot experience was an assimilation of each individual into the cultural fabric of the United States of America. Languages from the “old country” were dropped in favor of American English. People eagerly sought out the experience of tasting foods from the many traditions and cultures represented here. People no longer identified themselves by their former heritage, but excitedly became “Americans.”
Yes, there was always a bow of honor given to the land from which they had come. But, they seemed much more interested in becoming an American citizen. So, we experienced a definite ethnic recognition, but championed our new identities as belonging to the greatest nation on earth. My, how things have changed in these last few years.
As citizens of God’s eternal Kingdom, we “Christ’s-ones” sometimes forget that we have a new identity in Christ. While we will not forget from where we have come—a horrible pit of sin and death—we eagerly celebrate our new belonging. We are chosen by God to be His dearly loved children. We belong to His Kingdom. The Apostle Paul reminds those gathered in the church at Galatia of this very fact when he writes the words recorded in Galatians 3:28:
There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Our new identify is fully in Christ. We belong to Him. He is our Sovereign and Lord. He is the King of All Creation and our King, too.
As we begin another new day, let us remember that we Christians are all one in Christ Jesus. We belong to Him and to each other. His shed blood has stamped us with His glory. He has forgiven our sins and made us new in Him. We belong! Yes, we belong! We belong to Jesus!
Based on a blog originally posted on Wednesday, October 5, 2016
