Upside Down Worlds – Part 5: Family

FAMILY

I have always believed that God is colorblind. I had never seen it more beautifully displayed than in the welcome hearts of the Kenyan pastors with whom we worked. Never will I forget the message of thanks Pastor Washington shared in the first church building that was completed on our trip. He said that he wanted no confusion to be had for who had built this church. They did not build it. His new friends from the States did not build it. God built it. “Even though our skin is black and their skin is white…we are brothers and sisters because of the blood of Jesus Christ. It is the same color and it covers us and it covers them.” At that moment, I wished with all of my heart that everyone in America could hear that statement. I am not naïve to neglect that there still is a lot of racial tension in the world- namely America. Yet, here we were on the continent where so much of the racial tension had begun because of shameful, sinful acts of purchasing human beings and selling them as slaves to Americans, and there was peace because we recognized that God does not distinguish between the colors of our skin. He died for us all so that we could have eternal life. His only distinguishing factor is between those who are His and those who are not. Oh, how I wish everyone in the world belonged to Him and He belonged to them.
I learned a lot about family when I met a lady from Washington state named Cate. She came to teach at Legacy Schools in Kitale for seven months. Cate is an Iraqui war widow. She also lost her son shortly after her husband was killed. She has a daughter, son-in-law, and several precious grandchildren living back in the states. While Cate could have sat at home searching for a reason to go on having lost such dear members of her family, she chose to come be a part of the Legacy School family. She lives with Miss Alice, the Muttai’s neighbor and close friend. Alice has taken Cate in as a member of her own family and Cate has committed to helping Alice almost as if she were her own aunt. Cate’s willingness to go to Kenya for such an extended period of time and let God use her- sorrows and all- is already doing so much to help the family of God grow and be encouraged.
There is a bond between believers around the world that cannot be separated. You can’t reject those who join you in sharing the inheritance of the Father. It’s not your choice who He gives new birth to. You’re family no matter how you look at it. When you find others that have graciously been called sons and daughters of God because of the blood of Jesus that has covered their lives, you can’t help but embrace each other and rejoice in the bond of God’s love.
When I listened to Washington at that moment, I think I was finally able to see how God does- with color blindness. I’m so thankful that He didn’t just die for one people group. What if he had only died for his ethnic people? You’d have to admit that most of us would have been left out of the greatest gift that has ever been given, let a lone the greatest story every told.
John 3:16, “For God so loved the WORLD, that He gave His only begotten Son. That whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.”
A bunch of whosoevers stood together underneath that tin roof, rejoicing together over their inheritance from their Father- everlasting life and the forgiveness of their sins.
Washington speaking of the blood of Jesus, which makes us family regardless of our skin color. Maurice (green shirt) translating

Cate and me
Miss Alice and me…we’re sisters, can’t you tell?
David and our Brother, Willingstone with
his fiance, our sister Benter
A small part of God’s family

With our new Pastor friends at the first church
God built on this trip…brothers and sister
covered by the same color blood…from Jesus.

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