I have been in this beautiful and chaotic city for almost three weeks now. One of the only constants of these few weeks has been knowing that I will, yet again, be struck by something new and different. Amongst all this diversity, however, I am once again reminded of a concept I first learned in junior high biology class: unity in diversity. I grew up in Italy and have traveled to Africa several times in my high school and college years and everywhere I go I see unity in diversity in the church—in God's people.
We serve a God who has created infinite diversity in people. We have different languages, skin color, facial features, customs, world views. Yet, as I listened to a Peruvian sister share her testimony this past Sunday, I realized how we all long and yearn for a God who gives us unconditional love and acceptance. We were all created to be reunited with Him and unified as the body of His church. God truly has "set eternity in the hearts of humans” (Eccl. 3:11). And through this longing, God's infinitely diverse people, find unity.
“There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope.”
In our limited knowledge and understanding we tend to place God within the box of our own culture and individual defining qualities. And for the most part, that is just fine, because we serve a God who is so awesome he can fit in millions of boxes and perfectly fulfill the needs of all those he has created. By fulfilling these needs he creates oneness among all of us. Being in a new culture has reminded me of the truth in the song we sing to our children:
“Our God is so big, so strong and so mighty, there’s nothing our God cannot do.”