From Babel to Blessing

I had a unique experience this past weekend to speak at our own church with a translator who translated all that was said into Chinese.  We had this opportunity because of a missionary whom I have gotten to know over the last year who had served in China and built a great relationship with the church he served.  (Thanks Mike!)  Their church sent over five young people and two adult translators to send them to camp and to experience life and church in America.  On Saturday, we had a pool party together.  After the party, I was talking with my children about the difficulty of understanding each other when language was a barrier and I drew their attention back to Genesis 11 and the tower where all of the languages were confused.  I reminded them that this was a result of people refusing to do what God had commanded. 

Then Sunday came.  It first struck me as we were singing "This is the Day" with the words in English and Chinese.  It struck me as our guests kindly shared with us gifts from their church and their homeland.  But it hit me like a brick while I was standing and preaching with a man beside me who was reading the same verses that I was, but in Chinese.  He was preaching the same sermon that I was, but in another language.  And I was broadsided by the ongoing realization that our God is a global God and our gospel is a global gospel.

How foolish of me to be surprised by this.

"After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands;  and they cry out with a Loud voice, saying, 'Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb."  (Rev. 7:9-10, NASB)

One day, people from all tongues will praise the Lord for His salvation.  All tongues that we see now as a result of sin will praise God for His redemption.  We are so myopic when we worship that we see only ourselves.  And this week, I got the chance to expand my vision of God and be reminded that I was worshiping with brothers and sisters around the world.  And while we may not share the same language - worship is universal.  The gospel transcends culture, language, or any other barrier we might invent.  Glory be to our glorious, global God.