English: Icon of Jesus Christ (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Devotional/Discussion thought of the day…

⁹  After this I looked, and there was an enormous crowd—no one could count all the people! They were from every race, tribe, nation, and language, and they stood in front of the throne and of the Lamb, dressed in white robes and holding palm branches in their hands. ¹⁰  They called out in a loud voice: “Salvation comes from our God, who sits on the throne, and from the Lamb!”  Revelation 7:9-10 (TEV) 

You were amazed that I should approve of the lack of uniformity in the apostolate in which you work. And I said to you: Unity and variety. You have to be different from one another, as the saints in Heaven are different, each having his own personal and very special characteristics. But also, you have to be as identical as the saints, who would not be saints if each of them had not identified himself with Christ.  (1)

Imagine the great diversity in heaven, people gathered, from everywhere, from everytime, from every language, their hearts crying out with “a” loud voice.

It’s one of the things I love about our combined services each year, as three congregations worship and hear God’s word in two languages – in English and Mandarin.  Some things we do separately, with one language following the other, somethings we have found that we can do together, simultaneously, our voices blending into something that is phenomenal – incredible and glorious.

It’s more than our combined voices – it’s more than the physics and the soundwaves and all of that. It is the hearts that cry out as one, that just…. makes sense.  It is a foretaste of heaven, not just because of the diversity, but because of the Lord that brings us together.   That is our key, to our unity, to our salvation.  The Lord who gathers us, who brings us together, who wondrous love for all of His people causes us to sing out… with one voice… His praises.

May we – as we minister in many languages, with many gifts, do so as one Body, for in that Body we find ourselves, each different and yet one…..

For as we cry out tomorrow in our combined service,

Κύριε ελέησον!

求主怜悯！

Lord, Have Mercy!

Signore, abbi pietà!

Tuhan kasihanilah!

Senyor, tingueu pietat!

Panginoon maawa!

Herr, erbarme dich!

שאלוהים רחם!

주님 자비를 베푸소서!

Chúa có lòng thương xót!

Senhor, tem piedade!

Seigneur, aie pitié!

We shall know, together, He has…

AMEN!

(1)Escriva, Josemaria (2010-11-02). The Way (Kindle Locations 2196-2199). Scepter Publishers. Kindle Edition.

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