We reflected this week on Paul’s message to the church in Galatia that “there is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.” (Gal 3:26) A modern-day, living version of that was the AIDS LifeCycle bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles. The community that forms on the ride (while it’s not church!) is a model for what a church can do and be, in fact what the world can do and be.
Diversity does not have to mean division, especially when mutual caring, determination and common purpose are paramount. Paul’s message throughout his travels was that the grace of God and the love demonstrated by Christ were available to all persons regardless of whether they were Jews, Gentiles, male, female, slave, or free. These were huge social divisions in Paul’s time. Today we need to remember that we are vehicles of that love and grace to all persons – rich or poor, educated or uneducated, gay, straight, trans, immigrant or native-born, white majority or ethnic minority.
For in God’s mathematics, there is no division.
Peace be with you,
Pastor Carol
