Yielding to God’s Ecumenical Embrace
British cosmologist and astrophysicist Martin Rees’ book, Just Six Numbers, explains how six basic values may define the universe and make life possible. Here is something I often say when meeting someone for the first time: “I’d love to hear your story.” Those six words frequently reveal surprising facts about someone, and, like Rees’ mathematical values, they can make connecting with someone in a meaningful way possible.
For Julaine and me, our story has included embracing Roman Catholicism, the Calvary Chapel Movement, Vineyard Churches, Foursquare/Hope Chapel Churches, American Baptist Churches, Non-denominationalism, and Anglicanism, before a brief stint in Methodism. Our journey has not been one of spiritual confusion; on the contrary, it is one of following the Spirit and welcoming every person (and expression of Christianity) God places before us as family.
We have been able to accomplish this by remaining true to our orthodox Christian moorings, all while being curious, respectful of others’ beliefs, and staying awake to the work of the Spirit. Let’s get down to what we’ve learned. One of our core values is that how we treat people who are different from us reveals who we truly are, for better or worse. But yielding to God’s call to embrace the other shows us who we were created to be. To embody this, we have dedicated ourselves to making our hearts a spacious and welcoming place for everyone who crosses our path. At that point, our lives become a public witness to this one timeless truth: God loves every single person, full stop!
Having said that, this particular part of our story begins at a time we were working with the Billy Graham Crusade in Belize City. We were able to observe God working through a Catholic priest, a Protestant, an Anglican Bishop, a Salvation Army Major, and several Baptist ministers, all of whom experienced Christ’s love in the warm embrace of the minister at the Methodist Church where we met. What was the catalyst for this show of ecumenism? Billy Graham’s first worldwide televised crusade! It was named Global Mission, and it took place in March 1995.
That year, Doctor Graham gave a message at Estadio Hiram Bithorn in San Juan, Puerto Rico, which was broadcast via satellite to 185 countries and translated into 116 languages. His staff told me that this was the most ambitious crusade of his career, with over 10 million people in 165 countries gathering around satellite dishes to hear his message of love and grace.
I was on the board for this event, and what I saw was God’s ecumenical nature revealing itself not through insincere uniformity, but through divine love that transcended human categories. Having witnessed this firsthand, it became clear that the body of Christ can function as one body bound by love, if and when doctrinal differences are viewed as opportunities for unity, rather than territorial walls.
Inclusion: Ecumenical, Not Political
In 1993, we left the USA as long-term missionaries to Belize, Central America. When we first arrived there, I never imagined how deeply the biblical hero Ruth’s declaration, “Your people will be my people,” would resonate in Julaine’s and my hearts. If you are unfamiliar with the story, I’d like to share a brief summary. Ruth was a Moabite widow who chose to stay with her mother-in-law, Naomi, during a difficult time and accompany her back to Bethlehem. She is famous for saying, “Where you go, I will go,” which was remarkable because the Moabites were traditional enemies of Israel. She ended up marrying a relative named Boaz, and they became the great-grandparents of King David, who is regarded as Israel’s greatest King.
Back to our story. The early days were overwhelming. We were learning Kriol phrases at the markets and other public spaces and folding them into our social lives. We fumbled through our visits home to see our families because our speech patterns had changed so much that it was noticeable to them. And being involved in conversations where we only understood half the words was a challenge, to put it mildly. Additionally, it took us some time to get accustomed to the fragrances we encountered while walking the unpaved streets in the sweltering heat every day.
Slowly, something shifted within us, and we stopped seeing ourselves as outsiders. We soon realized that the Belizean people had taught us what it truly meant to not only trust God, but also to extend an open heart and hand to strangers. Like Ruth in her story, we arrived as outsiders, but as time passed, we discovered that our hearts had been deeply affected by this place and began to call it home. That transformation left us forever changed, and to this day, unable to return to our old American perspectives.
Taking all of this into consideration, what would be the message for us today? It is simply this. God’s endless grace is much broader than we imagine. Perhaps for those inclined to view the world scientifically, it would be helpful to consider the ever-expanding nature of our universe. If the universe expands with each moment, perhaps it mirrors the way God’s love expands with each person it embraces. That says there are no limits, no boundaries, and no borders to cross, only an invitation to come right on in. Belize proved to us how bridge-building love repurposes division by turning it into a compelling example of the power of God’s love. What is needed is for more people to develop the spiritual acuity to recognize how God’s love continually expands to include more and more people. The good news for us is that each new day presents opportunities to join forces with God in spreading that love naturally and authentically. That is what the concept of Bridging Austin is all about.