Jesus Loves the Nations

"And they sang a new song: 'You are worthy to take up the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.  You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to server our God, and they will reign on the earth'" (Rev. 5:9-10).

Delia, Sophia, and I had the opportunity to enjoy the International Festival in Bowling Green today with some friends.  Upon arriving we greeted with a cacophony of sights, sounds, and smells.  A miniature world bizarre stretched out before us.  Many of the cultures present in Bowling Green had set up tents to sell food, clothes, trinkets, ect.  There were also many booths that offered the opportunity to learn more about the cultures of our neighbors.

I have always assumed that the goal of such events is to foster tolerance of other cultures by elevating fears of the unknown through education and experience.  We are less likely to distrust someone from another culture, if we have taken the proverbial walk in their shoes.  The sharing of cuisine is often instrumental in building bridges between cultures.  For me, it is enjoyable to experience new foods.  I don't always enjoy what I try, but when I do, I want to go back for more.  A visit to a really good buffet will teach you that the kitchen is often the first place cultures begin to blend.

Tolerance is a noble goal.  The world would be a better place, a safer place, if people were genuinely tolerant.  But tolerance isn't love.  I can tolerate my neighbor without loving him.  I can look at the beautiful clothing that adorns the outward man and marvel at it without ever giving a thought to the inner person.  I can devour their marvelous food and wonder how I had managed to live so many years without it, but never think about the hunger deep within my neighbor.  What does he hope for? What are his dreams?  Will I see him again in heaven? 

I can and must learn how to live alongside of people different than me.  I can learn to move beyond tolerating them to appreciating them.  I can learn to to appreciate pieces of their culture: music, food, dance, poetry, and art.  But Jesus requires more.  He requires that I learn to love them.  I do not mean in some vague, hard-to- define-way, but in the very real, very ordinary way.  We learn to see them as people, like us, although not exactly like us.  They eat, sleep, bath, work, play, etc.  They love and want to be loved.  They have dreams and ambitions.  They have fears and worries.

We must learn to see them as individuals forged in a particular cultural background.  Culture has shaped an molded them (just like our culture has shaped and molded us).  We must learn to assume that they have the best of intentions, until they prove otherwise.  We need to see them as people who have needs, some they are acutely aware of, others they are completely oblivious to.  We need to see them as people, not projects; potential friends, not numbers.

In order to love them, we must seek first to understand them, and then to serve them.  When tolerance is the end goal, then question becomes: "How do we know our culture is any better?" or in a more religious context, "How do we know we are the only ones who are right?".  Questions like these, on their face, seem very difficult to answer.  Why?  Because if you press your own opinion you have failed to achieve tolerance.  Is one culture better than another?  A better question would be, "Is there a perfect culture?"  We all know the answer to that, it's no.  So much of our cultures are relative.  Each culture has different tastes, but most can come to enjoy food from another culture.  Each culture has different music, but most people can learn to appreciate other types of music.

However, it becomes dangerous to assume that all elements of culture are relative.  This is especially true of religions.  The International Festival did have some religious presences, but religion seemed to be on the back burner.  It could be because the organizers wanted to avoid potential hostilities that would have undermined the festival.  It could be that the prevailing cultural wisdom, that all roads lead to heaven, influenced the decision.  It could even be that local religious organizations chose to avoid potential conflicts.

For the Christian to love his neighbor, he must share the gospel with him.  He cannot sit idly by, while his neighbor slips into hell.  The Christian faith is clear: God made all mankind, and thus mankind owes God their obedience.  However, man has rejected God's authority and forged their own path.  This rebellion brings death and judgment.  God in his grace did not will for mankind to die in their rebellion, so he provided a way for them to be at peace with him.  He sent his Son, Jesus the Christ, to die in their place.  As a sinless substitute, Jesus paid the debt we owe.  He was buried and raised to life on the third day.  He ascended into heaven from where he is reigning even now.  For this reason, God commands all mankind, everywhere to repent of their rebellion and to put their trust in Jesus.  We call this the good news.  Those without it live under the bad news of death and judgment.  So we have to share the message.

Further great news, for us, is that Jesus is saving people from among the nations.  Revelation looks down the road into the future.  John, who recorded the Revelation, sees a multitude to large to count made up of every tribe and tongue and people and nation.  Each individual purchased by Jesus' blood, for without the shedding of blood sin cannot be forgiven (see Heb. 9:22).

I saw a small sampling of the nations today, several hundred people or maybe as many couple of thousand, from dozens of countries.  I enjoyed many of the sights, sounds, and flavors I experienced today.  I felt that my life had been enriched by the experience.  Yet, I grieved.  I grieved because I came into contact with good people, sincere people, but people who needed Christ, yet knew little or nothing about him.

I can appreciate their culture.  I can enjoy their music and dance.  I can delight in their food.  I can long to know them better.  But I cannot tolerate their lostness.  By lostness, I mean they are like sheep who have gone astray, and need to be brought back into the fold.  They are lost apart from Jesus. The good news is that Jesus is the Good Shepherd who goes looking for the lost sheep.  The Bible teaches that we all need to turn from wrongdoing and seek forgiveness through Jesus.  As a Christian, I believe this, so it would be act of hatred to withhold the message of Jesus.

I don't mean that we have to jam the message of Jesus down the throats of every person we meet, every time we see them.  We should never try to force-feed people the message of Jesus.  But we do need to live in a winsome way and share what Jesus is doing in our lives today.  When the opportunity arises in conversation, we should share the message of Jesus.  We should be prepared to answer their questions.  We should listen to their stories, and allow them to share their faith with us.  We should ask good questions that reflect a genuine interest in understanding their beliefs and who they are.  In the end, are task is to love them--not as a prospect, but as a person.  We are to love them enough that we share the good news of Jesus Christ with them.  And we are to love them whether or not they accept our testimony.  We love them because Jesus loved them enough to die for them.  We love them because he has purchased the nations to be a kingdom and priests for his Father.  We love them because we have been loved.

Jesus loves the nations.  Do you?  Are you trying to build relationships with non-Christians, so that you can share Jesus? I loved to hear how you are building bridges.