Man, I Love This Church!

On Saturday evening, March 11th, I attended a a celebration of the Hispanic/Latino churches of the Greater New Jersey Conference. It was a wonderful service, with great music and inspiring preaching by our spiritual leader, Bishop Sudarshana Devadhar. Laypersons from each of the Hispanic churches were honored for their tireless work in making disciples for Jesus Christ (the picture above shows at least part of the group that was honored, gathered around our Bishop).

In the midst of this wonderful celebration, which encompassed just one portion of the ethnic diversity of our Greater New Jersey Conference, I came to a realization of the diversity in the midst of this diversity. Not just Bishop Devadhar, born in India, preaching in english (i have to keep reminding myself, his second language) being translated into spanish, but in the midst of this group of spanish speaking United Methodists they hailed from 22 different lands: Cuba, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and others from Central and South America. On top of that, they were young and old, some relatively well off financially and some not so well off. A bouquet of 22 flags graced the altar, and a parament with a rainbow hung frm the pulpit. It was inspiring.

Is it difficult to live in a church that celebrates this kind of diversity? Sometimes. We have to anticipate each others needs (they provided me with a headset so I might hear translations of the part of the service that was in spanish). But isn't that what Jesus calls us to do anyway?

We have to work a little harder to understand the nuances of each others culture ("When we say we are starting at 5:00pm what does that really mean?"). Yet isn't that what most of us aspire to in regard to financial security -- we'd like to be wealthy enough that we could travel and experience other lands and other cultures? You don't have even have to leave New Jersey.

Want to taste some Korean culture? Head up to Fort Lee, or Wayne. Yearning for some Indian food, point your car towards Exit 131 off the Garden State Parkway. A little Brazillian food, how far are you from Harrison, Elizabeth or Long Branch?

Yet in the midst of all this, there is that cross, and the red flame alongside. One cross, one savior, one Holy Spirit. Diverse and yet united. I love this church.