Vol. 21 No. 37 | September 16, 2019
I had my playlist set to a mix of international tunes meant to express joy, love, hope, and peace. Most of the songs were familiar and in English. Others were sung in foreign languages from all over the world.
All the songs were colorful and lively, and I found myself strumming and thumping along on the steering wheel. But I admit, I did skip a song or two when I couldn’t understand the language and the tune was unfamiliar. Obviously there was a message in the music, but I could not understand it.
I was with a team on a mission to share the message of Jesus with people in another country. Most did not understand English, I spoke only a few Ukrainian words (and those were often mispronounced). Fortunately, a translator was provided to help us communicate. Without the translator, our message was lost.
The atmosphere was similar to some churches I had attended decades ago. Most were friendly but suspicious of a stranger. The worship included only the old traditional favorites he message was basically “We are right, and everyone else is wrong.” If there was a message of Jesus I could not understand it.
I believe our Creator’s overall message to the world has always been this: “I made you, I love you, and I want you to know that.” For centuries, His efforts to communicate this have often been either ignored, denied, misinterpreted or misunderstood.
God was determined to communicate His love for us, in a way that could be understood, so God sent Jesus to deliver His message. He was a human being like us. He lived among us. He became one of us to show us the message. Yet even today, His message continues to be ignored, criticized and misunderstood by so many.
God has a message for us that transcends language barriers, borders, and backgrounds. His message is simply to offer us peace, hope, love, and joy, and help us spread peace, hope, love, and joy with everyone around us.
My desire is to live by example and communicate the message Jesus came to share with all of us, knowing we are all equal in the eyes of God, and we all are worthy of a life filled with peace, hope, love, and joy.
I hope you see Jesus this week, in yourself, and in all others.
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