My sermon this week is entitled “The Power Of Us.” This Reflection is not about that “Us.” (The church). It is about “Us. (All of us)” Are you confused?
This week I came across a video that was posted by our friend Bruce Bernard who is a pastor of a house church in Manhattan. It shows how inter-related we really are. You may think that you are purely from a particular ancestry but DNA research reveals that your heritage can come from many different cultures and areas of the world. A few years ago I found out that my great grandfather was a Parisian Jew. I knew we were French but I never knew we had Jewish blood. Now when I preach I refer to “my people” and “our Jewish ancestors.” My son says I am barely Jewish and he is even less so. Oh vey.
Over the last few months we have had several friends who have done the AncestoryDNA test at Ancestory.com https://www.ancestry.com/dna/. They have discovered areas of their heritage that they were totally unaware of. Our friend Mark discovered that he is about a quarter Jewish…My mispocheh! Tony, our friend and worship leader at our church did the test and he does a weekly video post called “Life Lessons From The Garden” and did a wonderful post on this subject and video: https://www.facebook.com/tony.panzica.9/videos/10201956546031393/
The book of Genesis tells us that all of humanity could be traced back to a single source and that if you take that to the nth degree it means that we all, are in some way, related. I never understood the concept of who was my second cousin or my third uncle twice removed, but I do understand that there is more power when we realize that we are created by a God who is One while living in the community of three persons. Father, Son and Holy Spirit…separate…equal…one. In perfect communion with each other. What divides us can be overcome by the love that binds us. World peace? Probably not in this life time because fallen humanity is incapable of sustaining that kind of love. It will only come when the Prince of Peace returns. But in the meantime, we realize that we are new creatures in Christ, with new hearts and a love that is transformative. We can live that love out…one person, one situation at a time.
Acts 17:26: and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation,
Genesis 3:20: Now the man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all the living.
Malachi 2:10: “Do we not all have one father? Has not one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously each against his brother so as to profane the covenant of our fathers? :
Galatians 3:28: There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Dueteronomy 10:17: “For the LORD your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God who does not show partiality nor take a bribe.”
Epehsians 2:14: For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall,”
Check out this video…It is very interesting…Very powerful..Very revealing. (Excuse some of the language).
Shalom!
What do you think? How does it make you feel?
Blessings,
Steven