In Christ There Is No East or West, ELW 650
Devotion
In Christ there is no east or west,
in him no south or north,
but one community of love
throughout the whole wide earth.
In Christ shall true hearts ev'rywhere
their high communion find;
his service is the golden cord
close binding humankind.
Join hands, disciples of the faith,
whate'er your race may be.
All children of the living God
are surely kin to me.
In Christ now meet both east and west,
in him meet south and north;
all Christly souls are one in him
throughout the whole wide earth.
John Oxenham, who wrote the words of this hymn, travelled from England to America and back to England, during the great migration from Europe to America. In that context he wrote, "In Christ there is no east or west, ... but one community of love throughout the whole wide earth." Travelling is one of the best ways to experience the global church. When my wife and I travel, one of the best parts of each trip is looking up the Christian community wherever we are. When we identify ourselves, we are usually warmly welcomed and we experience our deep belonging to each other as brothers and sisters in Christ. Christ gave us the command to "Make disciples of all nations." In the great migrations of our time, we can now say, "The nations are here!" Ministering with the immigrants in our neighborhoods now brings alive again this "community of love."
Prayer
Lord of the nations, thank you for the joy of being part of your Christian family both globally and locally. Help us to enter into that joy as we engage in your mission "throughout the whole wide earth." In Jesus' name. Amen.