Everybody Has to Die

In an increasingly segregated world, where schools, communities, and even churches often reflect a single dominant culture, there's a pressing need for a different approach to faith and fellowship. The early Christian church faced similar challenges, and their response provides a powerful model for us today.

The concept of "DEI" - diversity, equity, and inclusion - has become a hot-button issue in our society. But long before it was a corporate buzzword, it was a biblical mandate. However, the gospel doesn't just call us to DEI; it invites us to DIE.

This isn't a morbid call, but a transformative one. Jesus himself said, "Take up your cross and follow me." The vision Christ has for His church is cross-cultural, and the cross is a place of death. To truly embody the diverse, equitable, and inclusive community God desires, we must be willing to die in three crucial ways:

1. Die to Our Culture
The early church, as described in Acts 11, began by spreading the word "only among Jews." This was natural - we all gravitate towards those who are like us. But God had a broader vision. He orchestrated encounters that pushed believers out of their comfort zones, leading them to share the gospel with Greeks as well.

In Antioch, something remarkable happened. Jews and Greeks came together in one church, not segregated congregations. This was so unusual that people coined a new term for these followers of Christ: Christians. The name originated in the first truly cross-cultural church, where people died to their cultural superiority and embraced a new, shared identity in Christ.

Dying to our culture doesn't mean erasing it. God celebrates the diversity He created. Instead, it means dying to the sense that our culture is superior or the only right way to do things. It means creating space for others to express their cultural identity within the body of Christ.

2. Die to Our Comfort
Acts 13 and 14 recount the missionary journeys of Paul and Barnabas. They left the thriving, diverse church in Antioch to face opposition, persecution, and even violence in places like Cyprus, Pisidia, Iconium, and Lystra. At one point, Paul was stoned and left for dead - yet he got up and went right back into the city.

This willingness to embrace discomfort and even suffering for the sake of the gospel is at the heart of cross-cultural Christianity. It means being willing to step out of our secure, familiar environments to share God's love with others. Sometimes this involves physical travel; other times, it means reaching across social or cultural divides in our own communities.

The cross-cultural church is always sending people out, never content to simply build its own kingdom. It requires us to move beyond what feels easy or safe, trusting that God's comfort is greater than any worldly ease we might sacrifice.

3. Die to Our Control
As Paul and Barnabas planted churches, they didn't set themselves up as the ultimate authorities. Instead, they appointed elders in each town and entrusted the work to local leadership. This demonstrates a crucial aspect of cross-cultural ministry: the willingness to release control and trust God to work through others.

In our families, churches, and ministries, we often cling to control out of fear or a misplaced sense of responsibility. But true cross-cultural community requires interdependence, mutual trust, and diverse leadership. It means recognizing that God's Spirit is at work in ways that might surprise or even unsettle us.

The Challenge of Cross-Cultural Christianity

Living out this call to die isn't easy. Even the early church struggled with it. In Galatians 2, Paul recounts a painful incident where Peter, influenced by pressure from Jewish believers, began to segregate himself from Gentile Christians in Antioch. Paul had to confront this behavior publicly, reminding everyone that justification comes through faith in Christ, not adherence to cultural norms.

This story serves as both a warning and an encouragement. It shows that building true cross-cultural community is an ongoing process, requiring vigilance and sometimes difficult conversations. But it also demonstrates that with courage and commitment to the gospel, we can overcome the divisions that so easily creep in.

The Good News in Dying

The call to die - to our culture, our comfort, and our control - may sound daunting. But there's profound good news at the heart of it all. While we are called to die in these ways, only one person truly had to die for our salvation. Jesus Christ lived the perfectly righteous life we couldn't, died the death we deserved, and rose again so that we might have new life.

His death enables us to "live to die another day" - to daily take up our cross, dying to self so that we might fully live for Him and with others. As we embrace this paradox, we become part of the beautiful, diverse tapestry God is weaving in His church.

In a world desperate for genuine connection and reconciliation, cross-cultural Christianity offers a radical alternative to the segregation and distrust so prevalent in society. It's not about erasing our differences or creating a bland uniformity. Instead, it's about celebrating the unique ways God has created us while finding our primary identity and unity in Christ.

This journey will often be confusing, uncomfortable, and challenging. It will require us to examine our hearts, confront our biases, and step out in faith. But as we do, we'll discover a richer, fuller expression of faith that reflects God's heart for all people.

What area of your life is God calling you to die to today? Where might He be inviting you to embrace discomfort, release control, or challenge your cultural assumptions? As you prayerfully consider these questions, remember that the power to live this way comes not from our own strength, but from the One who died and rose again for us all.