Open arms

Galatians 3.28—There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and fe-

male, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

As we make our way to Holy week, this movement will act as a bridge between the life of Paul, into a fo-

cus on the church and then onto Christ. The verse that aids our focus today epitomizes God’s wel-

coming attitude. In the first century, this verse was a stark contrast to the cultural attitudes. The

extraordinary nature of God’s generosity is found at the heart of this verse.

The commitment of God to you and me, that irrespective of background, culture, age or gender, his

love and grace, his forgiveness and restoration is unswerving.

There is a call upon our church to be those same open arms. When we consider Paul, who was

steeped in the most religious form of Jewish elitism, this verse only stands as an even more power-

ful reminder of that truth. Are we willing to allow the Spirit to challenge us in this area? To sit and

listen to someone who is the polemic of your life, experience or culture can be incredibly enriching.

We can learn so much from each other and our different experiences of how we relate to our God.

For as this verse states, we are all one in Christ Jesus.

Stop and breathe.

Lord Jesus, may we be the kind of church that can welcome the stranger with open arms. May

we be the kind of church is enable to learn from one another, from our lives, and experiences of

you.