Witness, Mercy, Life Together: A Cross-Cultural Perspective by Bart Day
Faith in Jesus unites all Christians, transcending cultures, languages and geography.
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hat which began as the “very good” creation, was life and then became death is life again by the power teaming with life and light, at once was broken as and work of the God that created life in the first place — the serpent’s seeds were sown, and the weeds of for you and for me and for the whole world. the enemy began to be harvested in the ears of men. There Consider with me the Gospel of Luke’s account of is no one that does any good, and there are none that are the triumphal entry. After Jesus had come into the city, righteous. some of the Pharisees tell Jesus to rebuke His disciples What God created alive, man has sent into death and for their singing and shouting. Jesus answers, “I tell you, destruction. That death has gone to all the corners of the if these were silent, the very stones would cry out” (Luke earth. There is not a race of man, a sex, a pocket of life or 19:40). Those people were stones; the redeemed continue any piece of God’s perfect creation to be stones that cry out the song that has not fallen prey to death. and confession of praise to God Life together with Jesus Saint Paul, quoting from Psalms 14 for a Savior — the God-Man Christ creates a worldwide and 53 says, “None is righteous, no, Jesus Christ. The reign of sin and phenomenon. What was not one; no one understands; no death has made each one of us one seeks for God. All have turned before separated by borders, dead: dead as a rock, or rather, aside; together they have become stone dead. The key, however, language, customs, pride, worthless; no one does good, not is what Jesus does with dead self-interest and all the even one. Their throat is an open rocks — in other words — with other “children” born of grave; they use their tongues to ordinary rocks. He makes them a sinful nature, now is deceive. The venom of asps is extraordinary, like Him. under their lips. Their mouth is What does this mean for gathered together in one to full of curses and bitterness. Their Christ’s hands and His feet, His live in forgiveness, life and feet are swift to shed blood; in their lungs and His heart, His body, salvation in Jesus. paths are ruin and misery, and the walking, running, moving all over way of peace they have not known. the world? Examining witness and There is no fear of God before their eyes” (Rom. 3:11–18). mercy has less importance for the congregation of God’s So what was for Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden holy people if we do not first define and examine that very a natural fear, love and trust in God above all things, after congregation, also known as the bride of Christ and the the Fall is the complete opposite. Where life reigned, now body of Christ, which is the collective gathering of saints death sits upon the throne of men. from all over the globe, even you and me. This is the depravity in which we find ourselves across Life together (koinonia) is a description of the stones borders, cultures, languages and peoples. But what God that have become living. St. Peter picks up this metaphor places as the crown of His creation (i.e., man), He will not in his first epistle: “As you come to him, a living stone allow Satan to carry captive into the torment of hell. What rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and
Journal of Lutheran Mission | The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
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