MAX ON LIFE

60. Frankly, I have a hard time caring about people in other cultures when I hear about the atrocities they commit against their own people or even against Christian nations. Does God care more for one nation or culture than another?

Ever seen a tapestry? The finest artists weave together many colors and designs to create a beautiful palette. If it were just one color, it would be mistaken for a rag or a rug. But one look at this mosaic, and you want to put it some place very special.

God loves the tapestry of nations. He loves Iraqis, Somalians, Israelis, New Zealanders, and Hondurans. He has a white-hot passion to harvest his children from every jungle, neighborhood, village, and slum. "All the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord" (Num 14:21, emphasis mine). During the days of Joshua, God brought his people into Canaan "so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty" (Josh 4:24, emphasis mine). David commanded us to "sing to the Lord, all the earth!.... Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!" (Ps 96:1, 3, emphasis mine). God spoke to us through Isaiah: "I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth" (Isa 49:6, emphasis mine). His vision for the end of history includes "people for God from every tribe, language, people, and nation" (Rev 5:0, emphasis mine).

God longs to proclaim his greatness in all 6,909 languages that exist in the world today. He loves subcultures: the gypsies of Turkey, the hippies of California, the cowboys and rednecks of West Texas. He has a heart for bikers and hikers, tree huggers and academics. Single moms. Gray-flanneled executives. He loves all people groups and equips us to be his voice. He commissions common Galileans, Nebraskans, Bazilians and Koreans to speak the languages of the peoples of the world. He teaches us the vocabulary of distant lands, the dialect of the discouraged neighbor, the vernacular of the lonely heart, and the idiom of the young student. God outfits his followers to cross cultures and touch hearts.

Jesus himself traveled to the forgotten in Bethlehem, the foreigners in Egypt, the laughable no-gooders in Nazareth, the eccentric in Jerusalem, the half-breed Samaritans, and the pig-eating, idol-worshipping Gerasenes (Matt 2:1; 2:13-23; 20:17; John 4:5; Matt 8:28). His mission field was the lost sheep of Israel, but he could not help but take his healing and hope to whomever would respond.

And before he left, Jesus commissioned his followers (that includes us) to go to the whole world .... all of it.... every nook and cranny of every nation.... to bring a stop to the exact atrocities you speak of and hope to those struggling in oppression.

Every believer from every nation brings out the color and diversity of the tapestry of heaven.

By: Max Lucado