Our unity is rooted in our diversity. I heard this sentence at my Monday night Bible study in reference to the church. It reminded me of when I was going through Rush my freshman year in college. I heard many different places say one of the best things about their organization was the diversity. I thought to myself, “Really? Diversity is your best selling point? Why would I want to spend the next 4+ years of my life with a bunch of people who the only thing we had in common was that we didn’t have anything in common?” It seemed silly to me. I ended up joining a fraternity that was an all Christian chapter on our campus. Then I saw where this phrase makes sense. Some of my best friends during my first years of college included a midwestern Catholic Democrat and southerner raised Independent Baptist. As far as students at American universities are concerned, it’s hard to get more diverse than that. And now after fifteen years, three continents, and twenty-one countries, I completely understand this phrase.
The Body of Christ is huge and diverse. I love to experience new cultures and see how fellow believers worship and experience God. I’ve played guitar, bass, or percussion while people sang in Russian, Czech, Slovakian, Ukrainian, and Spanish to name a few. The cover photo of this post was from a trip I took to Ukraine this past March with a band called Symphony of Nations. It reminds me of a verse in Revelation.
After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb.Revelation 7:9If you have never experienced a culture outside of your own, we would love to have you join us on a short term trip. It is an experience everyone needs to have in their life multiple times. Contact us for more information on upcoming opportunities to serve overseas with The English Connection.