This morning as I woke up, something that I have thought about before came back and hit me again.

I have been working on where my book is going with the PatchWork Quilt idea. The basic idea is that the Quilt represents what the Body looks like in Heaven. Many tribes & tongues all together worshipping the Creator and His Son and the Holy Spirit.

Then it hit me again in a one sentence phrase. "If you are uncomfortable with people of color now, you will struggle in Heaven!"

Unity depends on Jesus's ONE Command, that we love one another. But, I think that most people take that to mean, that they love those that they like, or are like them. We all know that that is a false, self serving, and fearful understanding. But, it seems to have been the standard throughout history.

Now, Jesus told us "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." John 13:34-35. How do we interpret that now? We think that applies to our own kind, our own denomination, our families.

If we are to make any kind of significant impact on the Great Commission, especially in light of the Islamic challenge, the Body of Christ must be unified. Or, we will not have the kind of effect that God intends. So that command to love one another, is a call to UNITY. Unity between Races, Tribes, Tongues, Denominations, Cultures. Note that I did not say RELIGIONS.
This is an absolute non-negotiable from Jesus. It is His ONLY Command to us. He is telling us to GET IT TOGETHER people! (pun intended)

In light of this understanding, how do we continue to approach this problem? How do we bring such diversity together? Personally, I don't think that the process neccessarily has to result in a homogenization of cultures into this bland same-ness. I think it is all about allowing the Holy Spirit to change our discernment/perspective on Heavenly Beauty. To see the Body's Diversity thru HIS Eyes. Then Unity becomes more about Unity of Purpose thru cooperation, than about changing Identity to fit an intellectual concept. A brutal concept that requires God's Unique Indigenous Designs to conform or die.