I'm normal, you're different.

Recently I had the opportunity to preach at my church on the subject of "unity" from Ephesians. This topic has been on my mind a lot lately, especially since I am reminded more and more about our divisions within the Church. We divide over race, economics, politics, etc, and never stop to consider the implications of our division. If we listen to our conversations and watch how we live it would seem that the Church is doing a poor job in believing that the Gospel transcends all of our division. We have convinced ourselves that it is OK to worship with people who look like us and who have the same political views. We have forgotten that as followers of Jesus we are a new humanity. God has made a new people who are identified by their love for one another. We say "I'm normal...those people are different, so how can I worship with them?"  We have no problem accepting Paul's teaching in Ephesians of people being reconciled to God through Jesus' work on the cross, but we have a hard time accepting the fact that we are also to be reconciled to each other. Jesus was clear about this in his prayer  for the believers in John 17, and Paul is also clear in Ephesians and other places in his letters. 

Is it possible for people from different backgrounds, different perspectives, and ethnic groups to be united for a common cause? Sadly, the church has not been setting the example. Since this is the case, I asked the girls basketball team from North Kansas City High to help me with this They are a diverse group of girls that consider themselves to be a family. They really love each other. Their love for each other is the main ingredient that makes their team successful. Yes, they have times when they argue and have conflict but they understand that if they don't take the time to work it out they will lose! I spent an afternoon with them and did a video interview. Check the link to see the video. You can also listen to my message on my church website.

I believe Christians should be leading this conversation beacauase we are the only ones that have the solution  to this problem. We are to be agents of reconciliation in our homes, in our communities and in our churches. If we don't then we will lose!