Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.  In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.  And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

Ephesians 2:19 – 22

Can this possibly be true, that Jesus is bringing together a new family on earth that has no allegiances except to Jesus Christ?  Not that they are lifted out of their historical or cultural world, they remain in that world, but Jesus has given them new life through his death, resurrection and new walk in the Holy Spirit.  Dare I change the “them” to “us?”

Yesterday Anna Ruth and I worshipped, as we always do, with our rather small congregation called Chestnut Hill Mennonite Church located here in Lancaster County.  As it so often happens we are of the same culture, basically – white, middle class, somewhat affluent, citizens of this nation that is working hard to keep its people together and very much the same educationally.  Our commonality makes it rather easy to experience fellowship that is very meaningful and helpful in our walk with God.

In a way, this unity, though nice for us, can blind us or at least makes it difficult to fully experience what God is doing in our world.  Of course he loves and hovers over our dear congregation.  We experience that, to be sure, but it can blind us also to fact that we are just one, a small one, of the host or groups that make up the Body of Christ on the earth today.  While we are at home in our culture, so to speak, we are called to walk with one another and we are tasting the joy of a great fellowship of believers that will be in glory forever and ever, praising our Lord heartily.  May God give us real love for all believers, everywhere.