There was a time I felt like I was on the outside looking in.
When I first moved overseas, I did not understand the language(s) spoken in our host nation. I would peek in the windows of shops and then walk in, only to hear words directed at me that I was unable to understand. I was present in body but absent in understanding. It was frustrating and humbling.
So, I decided to learn. I studied every day. I mispronounced words. I struggled through conversations. Progress felt slow, but over time, something changed. I began to understand. Eventually, I became fluent enough to help others facing the same confusion I once had.
Recently, I realized that the same feeling can surface in another way.
Not peripheral
In today’s culture, I often feel out of place. The values being promoted are often not ones I share. The conversations do not sound familiar. It can feel as if we, the Church, are on the outside watching things unfold without influence.
But Ephesians 1:22 in The Message says, “The church… is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church.”
That changes the perspective.
We are not on the outside. We are not powerless observers of cultural change. We carry truth and hope. We have what the world seeks.
In Ezekiel 22:30, God says He looked for someone to stand in the gap and found no one. That is a sobering thought.
The people of the world are not waiting for us to blend in. They are on their tiptoes, peeking into God’s shop, curious about what is happening. They are ready for the truth we carry. The question is whether we are ready to give it.
