Cosmopolitan Christianity

Here’s one thing I like and am very proud of about genuine Christianity. There’s no discrimination. No one race, language, place, point of view or preference is elevated above any other. The only restriction is that it has to be within God’s law of love and holiness. There is no ‘This Way Or Else’.

To wit…

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No Favoured Race: There is no favourite race in God’s eyes. As the song goes, red or yellow, black or white, all are precious in His sight. We all belong to a spiritual kingdom of God.

“Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.” - Collosians 3:11 

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No Favoured Language: There is no ‘this language is holy and all others are inferior’. You can praise God in any language – it’s still good praise!

The Bible has been translated to more languages than any other book - you don’t have to master a new language just to understand it, or memorize the words without knowing their life-changing meaning. And if you want total accuracy, you can always learn Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek and read the Bible in the language it was written in. 

After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice:
   ”Salvation belongs to our God,
   who sits on the throne,
   and to the Lamb.” - Revelation 7:9-10

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No Favoured Place: What’s the ‘Holy Land’ of Christianity? The correct answer is that there is none (at least, not on this physical Earth). You don’t have to bundle your family off to the other side of the world to be pious – just worship in your area.

You don’t need a tall, grand, expensive building as a church – some of the most vibrant congregations meet in houses and shop lots. What’s important is that we meet together to have fellowship, encourage one another and worship our Lord.

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.  - Hebrews 10:24-25

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No Favoured Music: Christians are only allowed to sing slow, solemn hymns like Aaaaaamaaaaaziiiiing Graaaaace… Right? WRONG!

Apart from hymns, carols and Latin chants, we have Christian praise, Christian rock, Christian jazz, Christian blues, Christian rap, Christian ethnic music, even Christian super-hard-heavy-metal-rock! Modern music styles are not automatically ungodly, leaving only traditional/ancient sounds in churches. We are not restricted to chants and low rumbles. What counts is the words, the attitude, the praise!

Praise the LORD.
       Praise God in his sanctuary;
       praise him in his mighty heavens.
Praise him for his acts of power;
       praise him for his surpassing greatness.
Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
       praise him with the harp and lyre,
praise him with tambourine and dancing,
       praise him with the strings and flute,
praise him with the clash of cymbals,
       praise him with resounding cymbals.
Let everything that has breath praise! - Psalm 150

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No Favoured Methodology: How do we receive free salvation and the kingdom of heaven? Do we have to repeat holy phrases as many times as we can? Or make specified payments or live sacrifices? Or maybe do tons of good deeds and purify our souls?

Actually, as you may have heard, all we need to do is believe in Jesus, that He came to pay for our sins, and live life as a new creation in Him.

Apart from that, everything else is secondary – Whether we should pray in private or public, whether we use wine or Ribena, whether we dance and sing or kneel silently, whether we have 100 church rules, whether we speak in tongues. We don’t even HAVE to pay tithes and give offerings – that’s entirely between us and God’s, nothing being forced. But it is highly recommended, to support our churches and church workers and that God opens the floodgates of blessings on cheerful givers.

“Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” - John 17:3

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The bottom line - What counts in Christianity is your heart. The rest is just decoration, helpful in distinguishing us as individuals, but not the criteria by which we are judged. Variety is a gift from God that is to be cherished and celebrated!

So in our faith, there is no single ‘one way’… Except, of course:

(Pum pum pum) ONE WAY!
(Cheng cheng cheng) JESUS!
You’re the only one that I could live for~

Amen