Thursday, October 24, 2013
"We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making
his appeal through us."
I Corinthians 5:20
I have spent 25 years of my career working with thousands of foreign students from 100 different countries and hundreds of foreign legal professionals from 45 different countries. I have traveled or worked in 22 different countries in the Americas, Europe, Asia and Africa. Cultures are "different" because things like language, social behaviors, food, customs, dress, laws, etc. are not the same. The totality of culture may be described as a "world-view" or a "lifestyle". "Culture Shock" is the tension we feel when we travel to a culture where these things are different, unexpected or not understood. Culture shock may be mild or it may be debilitating. We can even experience it in our own country; a New London native who goes to New York City for the first time will experience culture shock. I know something about culture shock and cultural adaption; I have not only experienced these things innumerable times, I have also taught the subject.
An ambassador is a citizen of one country who is an official representative of that country while living in a host country. As Christians, we are citizen ambassadors, "official representatives", of the kingdom of God while living in the kingdom of this world. The difference between our ambassadorship and a "worldly" ambassadorship is that we are not simply representing a different "lifestyle", we represent a new life, a new class of being-- a human with God's Spirit living within-- a new life offered to all. Talk about culture shock!
In Jesus, God took on the life of man; in Jesus, man takes on the life of God. It is only through Jesus' death and resurrection that we are able to be "born again" and have the life of God flowing within us. We truly are new "creatures" and citizens of a wholly different Kingdom. This is good news. This touches every aspect of my life. This changes everything! This is great news! It is this new Kingdom that we are called to represent, and we are called to be witnesses, representing to others what we have experienced in this new Kingdom, with an invitation to join.
Jesus commanded me to love God and to love others. When I do this, I allow His life and love to flow in two different directions: back to God in worship, thanks and adoration, and out to others in compassion, assistance and invitation. God offers His life and citizenship in a His Kingdom to all who will accept it, and we are called to share that invitation with others.
Prayer: Lord, may I allow your Holy Spirit to live through me so that others may believe and accept your invitation. Amen.
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