Isaiah 44:3-5

For I will pour water on the thirsty land,

and streams on the dry ground;

I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring,

and my blessing on your descendants.

They will spring up like grass in a meadow,

like poplar trees by flowing streams.

One will say, “I belong to the Lord;”

another will call himself by the name of Jacob;

still another will write on his hand, “The Lords,”

and will take the name Israel.

-Isaiah 44:3-5

I am back into Isaiah after taking a hiatus for a few months. I reread these verses and was immediately struck by how God describes His people. In a word, the people of God are diverse. Poplar trees and a grassy meadow; ponds, streams, and rivers. We are not all the same, nor do we look the same, nor will we worship the same. But God is the same, and we will all worship Him.

These verses make me think not just of the diversity of God’s people, but also of the division. Once, when some Mormon missionaries came to my door, I asked them how they treated the factions of the Mormon church that practiced polygamy. I was immediately told that those people were deluded and not part of the church. When I pushed the issue by stating that they thought they were part of the same religion and same church, the missionary responded by questioning all the conflicting parts of my church. When I asked him what he meant, he said that the Baptists, and Protestants, and Catholics all fighting and claiming they were the true church.

I wish I could have laughed, but different denominations often cause others to think that the church is divided, rather than united, especially when we put down others, and question their theological beliefs and practices. What God is saying in this passage, is that His blessing falls on all of us who are the descendants of Abraham and believe and trust in Him. Whether we are Baptists, Lutheran, or Catholic; Fundamentalist, Conservative, or Modern; single, married, or divorced, God has caused us to spring up in our faith in Jesus Christ, and our differences are to be celebrated, not suppressed. I’ve often thought of getting a tattoo (I haven’t gotten one because of my fear of needles that cause pain). It’d be a Scripture reference, but I can’t help but think that it would hinder my ministry to some because it’s a tattoo, and there are those who would think less of me because of it.

Maybe it’s time to start finding how we are alike, rather than how we are different. Maybe it’s time to start saying that Jacob and Israel were the same person, and he belonged to the Lord. Everyone lives in sin, so instead of pointing out another person’s sin and trying to shame them because of it, let’s celebrate their holiness, because Christ died for all of us, and we are wrapped in his righteousness and holiness.

Maybe it’s time to consider who we think less of for no good reason, and realize that God had a good reason to send Christ to die for them. Be bold, for God’s power is great.