Addressing the Politicization of a Biblical Concept
The term multicultural is getting a lot of attention these days. Some of that is good and some is not. From a social or even a political viewpoint, multiculturalism can lean into things like DEI and ensure that no culture is ever viewed as better than another. While there is value to some of these opinions, there is also a danger. We can easily fall into the trap of deconstructing our own culture while we raise the cultures of others. We may also believe that these things can be forced. Force may change a person’s actions, but it will not change a person’s heart.
Multicultural is not a new word or idea. At its core, it is not a political or social concept. It is a God concept. While humans try their very best to force equality, it is against human nature apart from God. In other words, multiculturalism is only truly attainable when Christ is at the center of it. Human nature will always gravitate toward the marginalization of someone or some group. That could be illustrated in our attitude towards those on the opposite side of the political aisle. Yes, Jesus died for them, too.
Think about this. If we want to value other cultures through a heart change, Jesus needs to be at the center. Why, because it is only through Him, in Him, and around Him that every person, no matter what color, race, ethnicity, or language, has infinite value. Multiculturalism in the body of Christ is not an artificial construct. It is a God construct found and rooted in Scripture from Genesis to Revelation. (See The New Testament in Color for examples.)
So, let me take a moment to define multiculturalism from a Biblical worldview. Multicultural means that every person on earth should have access to the Gospel (the story of Jesus). It means that every person, no matter their race, has equal value in the Body of Christ, His Church. It means that one of the most fundamental functions of His body is to reach the lost, all over the world, in every nation and in every culture. We call this missions. It is loving a person who looks and sounds different from us, just as Christ loves them. It is raising the value of a person who is marginalized because of tribalism or disability. It is loving as Jesus loves. That is what it means to be Biblically multicultural.
While those in the media, politics, or any other facet of society demand equality, there is genuinely only equality in Jesus Christ. Paul writes one of my favorite verses to the church in Galatia. “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Gal 3:28 NLT) Only when we love like Jesus can we truly value every person who is different from us. Let’s be honest, none of us has fully attained this as we are all works in progress.
Our church’s mission statement is simple: “One Church, Many Nations.” In these words, we see the unity that should be present in Christ’s Church. We welcome the nations that describe our goal of reaching the lost (those who do not serve Jesus) in every corner of the world. It sets a tone of hospitality and community that is so important in almost every culture in the world. It affirms that we want to be like Jesus, love like Jesus, and worship Jesus. He is truly at the center of who we are as a multicultural church.
Through Time 