Diversity Please

Reading: Acts 13

"Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was there, prophets and teachers: Barnabas, and Simeon who was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul." Acts 13:1-2

Examination:

The diversity in the backgrounds of the leaders of the church at Antioch is amazing. Barnabas was a Jew from Cyprus. Simeon was also a Jew, but his Latin nickname Niger not only indicates he was of dark complexion but also that he moved in Roman circles. Lucius was from Cyrene in North Africa. Manaen had high contacts for he had been reared with Herod the tetrarch, actually Herod Antipas, who beheaded John the Baptist and who treated the Lord so shamefully at His trial. At the end of the list was Saul, a Jew trained in Rabbinical schools. Despite their variegated backgrounds, these men functioned as one.

Application:

Church is not designed to be a tribe of like kinds. God values diversity and the world is starving for it. In my life and world I have to guard against being surrounded only by people like me. The voices I hear, the faces I see, and the opinions I consider should be colored by the vibrancy that diversity offers.

Prayer:

The message of the gospel and the truth of Your Word are the only divisions You allow. When I look at what has happened with Your church it breaks my heart. There is nothing more indicative of racism, personal preference, and division than Sunday mornings. We have taken the unifying nature of the gospel and split it up based on skin color, worship style, preaching style, dress code, program structure, theological beliefs, and even building designs.

This is our shame. Though I am not sure of where to begin I beg today that You lead us in overcoming our natural tendencies to be surround by things that make us comfortable. Teach us to evaluate things only on the basis of Your grace, Your Son, Your mission, and Your truth. I pray that churches across the country stand up and refuse to continue down the broken pathways we inherited. Empower us to chart a new course and heal the sins of our past. I ask that the church my children's generation inherit be the diverse body I see reflected here in Acts.