One New People
The Fourth of July is one of my favorite holidays of the year. Not just because I’m an American and it stokes some sense of nationalistic pride, but more because I love community. I so enjoy seeing groups of people come together and enjoy one another.
It strikes a similar chord to a sold-out country concert in the middle of summer, or a crowded pub on a warm Saturday afternoon, or a packed Dodger Stadium with 56,000 fans – seeing people all show up to the same place for the same reason is pretty special.
That’s why the Fourth holds such a warm place in my heart. In America, we sure have our problems and a long list of differences, but the Fourth offers us, even if just for one day, to lay those things aside, take a look around, and breathe in a sense of communal thanksgiving for the country we call home.
Togetherness does something to us, does it not? We were always meant to live in community. The Bible is in full support of this statement. Paul mentions in his letter to the Ephesians a glimpse into God’s master plan. He says, “Both Gentiles and Jews who believe in the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God’s children. Both are part of the same body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 3:6).
Talking about Jesus, Paul says, “He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in Himself one new people from the two groups” (Ephesians 2:15). Lastly, in the Book of Revelation there’s the promise, “I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb” (Revelation 7:9).
I want to encourage us today, don’t forget where the story is going. We are a part of a new people that will soon have our day of pointed praise towards our King. Allow days like the Fourth or crowded stadiums to function as a reminder of the even greater celebration that’s to come. And don’t find yourself lost in a place of worshiping your country or team or band. Our worship is to be reserved for Him and Him alone.
There’s a reason why gathering together for a common purpose awakens something inside of us. It’s because that’s what we were made for and that’s where the story is heading. There will be a day, regardless of which nationality or independence day you used to represent or celebrate, that we all, as believers, will gather to worship the One True King in unison. Let’s look forward to that day.
