Every week I interact with people from a variety of ethnic groups. I don’t really think about it that much. I have lived my whole life trying to treat people as people. It didn’t matter what color or ethnicity or even religious beliefs that they had. I tried to treat people as people, a person for whom Jesus lived and died. My parents taught me that, based on God’s Word:

Matthew 7:12 “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”

Can you imagine if we all tried to do that? What a wonderful world this would be! Have I always done it perfectly? Of course not. Sin is part of my life, too, and I have often fallen short of the way God would have me live. Yet even that was covered by the sacrifice of Jesus.

Last year I was privileged to serve Trinity Lutheran Church in Frankfurt for 5 weeks during their vacancy. I know I wrote about this before, but Cheryl and I truly felt like we had a glimpse of heaven worshipping with that congregation. There were people attending worship there from all over the world. We made it a point to ask the people we met where they were from, and we counted 18 different countries. It reminded me of John’s vision:

Revelation 7:9 After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.

I was reminded of this again last month when I attended the ordination and installation of Noah Menke at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Dallas. That congregation has multilple ethnicities meeting there and they have worship services in four different languages: English, Spanish, Swahili, and Arabic. All those groups were a part of that ordination and installation!  It was a joy to be a part of that service.

Christ died for all. And there are people all over this world who have come to faith in Him. Because of their faity,m heaven will be filled with people from every nation, tribe, people and language. That is why I try to get to know as many of those folks as I can on this side of heaven. Even those who may hold different political views that I do! I have noticed that my attitude improves when I make an effort to be kind and nice to my neighbor. Maybe it will work for you, too.

Hebrews 13:1 “Keep on loving each other as brothers.”