I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin.” vs. 1
Romans 11:1-2a
Paul knew his heritage and was proud of it – he could name his ancestors in a heartbeat. Some of us know what that is like. We proudly fly the national flags of our ancestors, and have spent years tracing our lineage back for hundreds of years. We gorge ourselves on foods like lutefisk and lefse (even if we don’t like them) to celebrate our heritage. For some it’s a point of pride, even to the point of being offensive – a few even claim superiority because of their genetic history. On the surface there’s nothing wrong with this – it’s fine to be aware of our ancestry. But sometimes it can get out of hand, particularly in the church. Some denominations have had a dickens of a time shedding the exclusivist baggage that goes with those national and cultural attachments. Paul knew that in Christ his racial background counted for nothing, and that he now belonged to a much larger family, one that included people of all backgrounds and nationalities. That’s a much needed lesson for those who continue to cling to those old customs and traditions. Our faith family is more spectacular than we have even imagined. It’s about time we discard those artificial distinctions and clothe ourselves in the unity of God’s universal and unconditional love.
Thought for the Day: What does my ethnic heritage mean to me?
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