September 9, 2020

Based on a Nigerian Igbo culture saying, “It takes a village to raise a child,” we understand that it takes many in a village to raise a child. Raising a child or living a life that is balanced takes more than an individual effort. Having community around you is essential and having people in your life who can help you along the way to speak words of wisdom into your child’s life or your life is a gift from God. On the flip side, when that is taken away or when a person chooses to go it alone, the results can be devastating. Some people feel that it is intrusive and offensive to have other people speak into the lives of their children or give them personal advice. Who are they? What right do they have to say anything? They have their own problems to work out. Without a doubt, there are times when people can give poor advice or say things that are not helpful when speaking into our children’s lives, but more times than not, the community that surrounds us can be of a far greater benefit than detriment.

Cultural and ethnic differences have the possibility to keep us from building the village where people can speak life and truth into our lives. When we look at our neighbors through biased lens of skin color, intellect or socio-economic status, then we limit the diversity of wisdom that could truly make a difference in the life of our children or us personally. More importantly, when these divisions are not settled in our hearts but legitimized, they create avenues for pride, unhealthy competition, jealousy and disdain. We fall prey to the idea that we want others around us to fail and for us to succeed. We might not say that but that is how we think and in truth, that is how we act. When this attitude takes root, we turn on one another rather than lifting up one other, protecting one another and forgiving one another in love. The net result is vengeful behavior that looks like anything but love. 

The truth is, God has put us in community with one another to provide protection, mutual assistance and encouragement. The Lord has surrounded us with beautiful diversity of language, conviction and passion. We must be able to see this and appreciate it so that we can benefit from it as a community. In the movie, Gladiator, there is a scene where the Maximus, played by Russell Crowe, is a faced with a situation where he has men who have to fight alongside him to defeat and overwhelming enemy. They are out-matched and under-resourced. However, Maximus rallies them together with these words, “We have a better chance of winning if we stay together.” They won the battle in the arena that day against all odds. The same holds true today. We must stay together if we are going to hold off the hordes of idolatry and perversion that continues to push mightily into our families. 

In Ezekiel 25, this is illustrated for us when the Lord directs Ezekiel to prophecy against four of the surrounding nations of Israel and Judah. The previous 24 chapters, God speaks through Ezekiel to Israel and explains why He is bringing judgement and His wrath upon them. Israel is filled with bloody violence and idolatry. Therefore, the Lord raises up Babylon to penetrate the walls of Jerusalem, take their people captive and kill them by the thousands. The Lord is justified in His wrath as He explains, but in chapter 25, He points out the guilt of the surrounding nations. Due to their own pride and envy against Israel that dated way back, they were glad to see the destruction of Israel. Therefore, when Babylon came from the East, they were more than happy to open their roads and assist them in any way so that Israel might get what they deserved. The Lord does not praise them in their complicity but condemns them for their revenge. He does for the same reason Israel broke the heart of the Lord: they did not know Him even though the Lord had made Himself fully known. 

What we see in this chapter is a breakdown in community. Babylon was a mighty nation but could not have had access to Jerusalem if they had banded together to push Babylon back to their homeland. However, the relationships between Israel and these four nations were not good, but this was not the real fault of the nations. The true guilt laid at the feet of Israel. Israel had not lived in accordance with the laws of God. They had lusted after idols and the pagan life for so many years that the surrounding nations saw no credibility in their words of faith. The Lord had set Jerusalem as the center of the nations (5:5) but Israel rebelled by doing “wickedness more than the nations, and against my statutes more than the countries all around her, for they rejected my rules and have not walked in my statutes…therefore, says the Lord God, behold, I am against you” (5:6, 8). 

When the people of God influence their community around them, people of diverse thought and background, it creates a bond of truth that cannot be easily broken. When the community of faith in Jesus influence their community, it creates a wall against perversion and a village of protection as we look out for one another, love one another and speak words of wisdom into the lives of our children and our families. Diversity is beautiful, but when it is coupled with the power of the Gospel, contextualizing it and utilizing it, then it becomes a magnificent tool to provide health, purpose and joy in the lives of everyone they touch. 

This is the community the Lord died to provide. This is the Church when the Church ceases to compromise its values for the values of world. This is the strength displayed when a weakened spiritual immune system is cleansed from its worldly corruption. This is the Church in every community living out the command of Jesus to love God and love others. 

_________________________________________________________________

Dr. Craig Hamlin is the Executive Pastor of Discipleship and Congregational Life for First Baptist Church of Peachtree City in Peachtree City, Georgia. He has been a senior pastor for over 20 years in North Carolina and Georgia. He has preached in many parts of the United States and around the world. Dr. Hamlin also founded the Roma Bible Institute of Central Easter Europe to provide theological training for Roma gypsy pastors in Ukraine, Romania and Hungary.

Share this post: