WEDNESDAY

Galatians 3:26-28

• How are Christians of different cultures united in Christ?

In Galatians, Paul says a bold thing: there are no divisions in Christ.

Of course, there are disagreements among Christians. There always will be. But in terms of significance and value, Paul argues passionately that there is no distinction between slave and free, man and woman, Gentile or Jew—anyone who is in the body of Christ.

For some reason, this is a difficult concept for humanity to grasp. We are chronically deciding who is where on invisible, social, spiritual, or legal hierarchies. We have an addiction to categorization: labeling people like nametags. Of course, categorizing things generally helps us make sense of the world. But when those categories are limiting or inaccurate to the people imprisoned within them, we must listen to their perspectives openly and empathetically.

When Paul says we are all equal in the body of Christ, he was speaking across cultures and demographics, across geography and political affiliation, across likes, dislikes, passions, and pet peeves. Paul radically asserts that we are all equal and valued in the kingdom of God.