Redeeming Diversity

My church is in the middle of its Annual Missions Conference. What a blessing from my Father! David Sitton is the featured speaker and my Heavenly Father has already reminded me of several things, taught me several things, and of course convicted me about several things. One small gemstone that I spotted along the way came tonight during David's message. He asked the question, "What language will be spoken in Heaven?" I have heard this question asked jokingly in the past. But he was quite serious. David then quickly followed up with, "What culture will be seen in Heaven?" I was starting to see his point. All languages and all cultures would be represented. My mind has been exploding with gospel implications since. Immediately upon hearing these questions, I impatiently asked my wife for something to write with and on. I had arrived late from teaching and didn't have anything with me. Three implications occurred to me from meditating on the multitudes of tribes and tongues that will be represented.

First, our sinful ethnocentricity is wiped out by this view of Heaven. The idea of our country being the ultimate society is revealed as bankrupt. In our prideful patriotism we await a Redeemer. The gospel redeems all societies, all cultures, all tribes. This means that peoples without military supremacy, mass production, technological advancement, higher education, elaborate art, and complex languages are just as valuable in displaying the worth of Jesus through worship as our "great" nation. A corollary to this is that the chorus of all people praising the Lamb will include those who speak prior versions of the languages we hear today. For example, there will be songs of English speakers from hundreds of years ago being lifted up in Heaven along with those with voices from this generation of Americans.

Second, man's quest for a great nation in their own power is seen as folly in light of this view of Heaven. At the Tower of Babel, men tried to make themselves into a people based upon their own fame. In Genesis 11:4 we learn of their intentions, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth." Ironically, God judges them by giving them what they feared: being scattered across the whole earth. He also "confused their language." In their confusion, they await a Redeemer. It is only in the transforming gospel that these countless people groups are brought back together and the cacophony of their confusing voices are perfectly reunited into a symphony of praise to the Savior as they surround His throne in Heaven.

Third, our desire to have everyone think as we do, dress as we do, serve as we do, pray as we do, sing as we do, worship as we do is revealed as self-centered in the light of this view of Heaven. Picture the different clothing, emotional outbursts, demonstrations of worship, instruments played, and songs lifted to Jesus! In light of this vision, we should be celebrating and uniting in our diversity within the church. Statements such as, "I don't like those slow hymns" or "I can't stand the beat of the drums" shouldn't be uttered. We should be rejoicing at the diverse songs as if we were offering a bouquet of various flowers up to God as worship. Even in "disputable matters," the church should be merciful to each other as saints working out their salvation in fear of their Lord. Diverse styles will be redeemed in Heaven by the supernatural gospel. We should seek unity in our churches to reflect the diversity of the choir of the redeemed in Heaven.