Me and the Goofballs

I bought a bright green cord for my iPhone. That's about the flashiest thing about me. Well, that and the little dance move that only Deana, Riley, and I know about. And they can't share that or they might turn up missing!

On the other hand, there are people who seem to announce their arrival into a room. "Hey, it's me!" You'd be shocked if you found out they hand a black or white phone cord. Maybe black and white stripes.

People are so different from each other. I guess that's a good thing but I think the normal ones are the ones like me. The rest of you are just goofballs!

It's when we make a big deal about our differences that we should get a slap on the wrist...or bottom...or face. The biblical perspective is that every person is created under the great care of our heavenly Father. Each of us is special and carry the image of God within us. I understand the biology of reproduction but I also know there is a mystery of creation behind all of it. Creator God is not far away and aloof. Instead, he is near and engaged.

He cares.

In the New Testament we can read that because of and through Jesus Christ there is no longer a difference between races, sexes, occupations, or anything else. There are really just two kinds of people: those who follow Jesus Christ and those who do not.

Yet there is no other person who looks just like me (Silence!) and nobody else acts like me. I'm unique and so are you! The diversity obvious in the human race is a testimony of God's genius. Blend that with a single purpose that we all hold in common and something about God comes into clearer focus.

We are all created to honor God with our praise. That looks different from person to person but the bottom line is the same. A person in Asia honors God with her praise differently than a person in South America does with his.

Don't misunderstand me...I'm not talking about a syncretistic outlook that sees all religions as equally valid. I believe faith in Jesus Christ is the only way to righteousness with God. No world religion can accomplish this so all of them fail. Praise is genuine only when directed toward Jesus.

The book of Philippians says that we will all one day bow to Jesus and confess him as Lord. That's a good thing except that for some people this will happen in hell as they finally realize and admit the truth. But by then it will be too late to escape the place of torment reserved for those who reject Jesus during their lifetimes.

Does that bother you? As followers of Jesus we ought to get a sick feeling in our stomachs when confronted with the reality that many people we see today will spend eternity in torment separated from God. We ought to have a sense of urgency to help others come to Jesus.

Jesus isn't looking for an army of clones who spout religious sayings. He is looking for people of every nation, tribe, and tongue to honor him with their praise. We will all look different. We will all speak a different language. We will all praise him in ways unique to us. But we will all direct that praise to the one true living God - Jesus Christ.

The Bible paints a clear picture of such a diverse group praising Jesus in heaven for eternity. When we pray, "Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven," we are really yearning for a little bit of that heavenly picture to be our reality today. Amen! Let it be so!

Now, what can you do to gather this diverse crowd around the praise of Jesus?