Focus: "Black Beauty)

 What a shame that most folks don't know about this Dutch jazz-rock band's music. It's partly why I'd like to feature this song. The other reason is that it speaks of love forbidden by cultural taboos. While not being as lyrically potent today, we still live with racism and the barriers erected by cultures.

Listen to the song here:

I'm glad that Christianity isn't a "white man's" religion. Paul showed how it transcends all racial and cultural boundaries in Galatians 3:28 (Bible in Basic English). "There is no Jew or Greek, servant or free, male or female: because you are all one in Jesus Christ."

Jesus also wanted his good news to spread to all the world. Matthew 28:19 and 20 (BBE) says plainly, "Go then, and make disciples of all the nations, giving them baptism in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: Teaching them to keep all the rules which I have given you: and see, I am ever with you, even to the end of the world."

Even so, the Jewish Christians wanted to remain in Jerusalem. But God used persecution to scatter them, as we read in Acts 8:4 (BBE). "But those who had gone in flight went everywhere preaching the word."

We also read in that chapter how the gospel entered the African continent. Acts 8:34-36 (BBE) reads, "And the Ethiopian said to Philip, 'About whom are these words said by the prophet? about himself, or some other?' So Philip, starting from this writing, gave him the good news about Jesus. And while they were going on their way, they came to some water, and the Ethiopian said, 'See, here is water; why may I not have baptism?'"

But many Jewish Christians, including Peter, couldn't grasp the universality of the gospel. We read in Acts 10:44-46 BBE) how God gave the Holy Spirit to non Jews as well. "While Peter was saying these words, the Holy Spirit came on all those who were hearing the word. And the Jews of the faith, who had come with Peter, were full of wonder, because the Holy Spirit was given to the Gentiles, And they were talking in tongues, and giving glory to God."

We also read how salvation is for any person from any tribe and nation who desires it. As 1 John 2:2 (BBE) declares about Christ's saving work, "He is the offering for our sins; and not for ours only, but for all the world."

A day will come when we believers will be in heaven, praising the Lord as one people. Revelation 5:9 and 10 (BBE) tells what it will be like. "And their voices are sounding in a new song, saying, 'It is right for you to take the book and to make it open: for you were put to death and have made an offering to God of your blood for men of every tribe, and language, and people, and nation, And have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they are ruling on the earth.'"

If Christ hasn't returned by Thursday, I hope to post about how the world views us who follow Christ.