The God for all people
by Pastor Reid Matthias
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These I will bring them to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer (Isaiah 56:7a).
I remember my first footsteps onto Australian soil when I emigrated almost 11 years ago. We had flown from Chicago, the third-largest city in the United States, to Australia in the middle of February. When we left, it was -20 degrees. When we arrived in Brisbane, it was almost 40.
Not surprisingly, my biggest worry was not the weather but whether I would be accepted or not. It is quite an overwhelming thing to be an outsider, foreigner, stranger to customs. To not know the slang or the subtle gestures of Australians sometimes filled me with fear, and yet I spoke English (but not Australian), I knew farming (but not the Lockyer Valley), and I knew people (but not necessarily Australians).
I try to imagine what it’s like for a non-English-speaking person emigrating to Australia who doesn’t know anything about the country except that it is a beautiful place of refuge and care. I imagine they hope they can fit in just as I did.
For the people of Israel, the issue of who was accepted for refuge and care was a big thing. People to avoid (as much as possible) were outsiders and, in this text, the eunuch – people who wanted to fit in yet were marked for exclusion. Still, in God’s promise to Israel in chapter 56, it is for all people, regardless of nationality, status or any other exclusionary walls that we put up.
When anyone encounters the beauty of the Sabbath, the precision and hope of the commandments and the joy we have in the Lord of all creation, they have a rightful stake and place in the house of God.
As Advent rolls on, are there people you know who have found it difficult to find joy in God’s house of prayer? Are there walls that can be torn down so that all people might see the Saviour of the world?
Heavenly Father, thank you for your promise to all people. Thank you for helping me find refuge and care in your house of prayer. Amen.
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