If you were here early this morning, you may have seen a post, which
has now been reverted to draft. Only up for a few minutes, there was nothing wrong
with it, because you’ll probably see it again next week. But I didn’t want to miss a
timely opportunity to respond to the events in Charlottesville this weekend.
In the church, I am not one to hold on to things just because we have
always done them that way, but I regret that in many circumstances we have
abandoned the great hymns of the church, for it is one of those hymns that has
circled through my brain in the last couple of days.
“In Christ there is no east or west, in him no south or north; but one
great fellowship of love throughout the whole wide earth.”
Written from 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.”
Originally written as a mission hymn, Dr. Michael Hawn calls it a “great hymn of Christian unity for the 21st century.”
Another verse reads, “In Christ is neither Jew nor Greek, and neither
slave nor free; both male and female heirs are made, all are kin to me.”
“All are kin to me.”
Priscilla Shirer calls her ministry Going Beyond. I remember her
telling a story in one of her Bible Studies about how God goes beyond and
beyond on our behalf.
Well folks, these days, I believe God is calling us to go beyond and beyond to heal the hurt in our land and in our
hearts.
It’s a time to make an extra effort, and sometimes it begins with the
little things like a smile, holding a door, extending a hand as we would with our
own family because all are kin to me.
Sometimes it means speaking up for our kin.
We don’t need a geography book
to understand we all have the same beating heart. Because in Christ, there is
no east or west, and he is the pulsing life that makes us one.
So, today, I am humming under my breath and praying for my kin.
Join me, will you?