For the Nations

It seems to me that our nation is divided right now.  Many of us have settled into our tribes, believing that it is safer to be among others who agree with us.  These lines get drawn in the strangest of ways…… camo vs. rainbow, legalization or illegal, public vs. private… the list goes on and on. 

As Christians, we are called to a higher standard, one that Jesus repeats in Matthew 21:13a, “It is written, My house shall be called a house of prayer.”  Jesus is quoting Isaiah 56:7, frustrated that his people had excluded the other nations from public worship of God.  In the mind of Jesus, the differences we see are often an opportunity to enrich the worship of God.  Jesus understood that not all the nations honored God but for those that wanted to live God’s way, Jesus insisted that there be a place for that to happen, as that was God’s plan from the very beginning. 

For every one of us, there are sins that will be put away when we begin a relationship with God.  This truth is universal; no matter who you are, God welcomes you as a worshipper, but on His terms.  Our communities have many different types of people.  How is God calling you to join unify our neighborhoods by making the church a “house of prayer?”

Fr. Gavin Pate

Photo by Karl Fredrickson on Unsplash