Tartan
We said farewell to six incredible missionaries this week.
As they depart, we gift them with a tartan tie, as a token of our appreciation and their service.
Tartan ties keep me grounded in my heritage.
There are some distinctive things about Scotland.
Its natural beauty, the highlands, castles, bagpipes, kilts, tartan, haggis, whisky, shortbread, thistles and the Loch Ness monster, Nessie!
I’m not quite certain what it is, but there is something about tartan, that so many people find interesting, the clan system and any potential ancestry connections.
Differences
It got me thinking about the many different cultures and traditions in the Belgium/Netherlands Mission.
We have a mix of missionaries from around the world, each with their own distinctive culture, language, customs, history, and practices.
Just like the many colours, lines, and patterns of a tartan tie, we are all different, all unique. Its fascinating to observe how each missionary accepts those differences about one another.
We must never forget that we live in a world of great diversity.
We just don’t accept these differences about one another, we love them, we embrace them, and they enhance our ability to work together in harmony.
As we learn more of one another, our appreciation grows.
Our mission is strengthened through 𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 and cultural 𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲.
Culture, language, customs, history, and practices may make us all different. But how are we all the same?
Children of God
I may wear a tartan tie, and occasionally my kilt too, but setting aside those cultural differences, we are after all brothers and sisters, each of us a child of a loving Father in Heaven.
In his memorable speech on Mars Hill, Paul declared to the Athenians that we are the “offspring” of God. (Acts 17:28.)
The Lord Jesus Christ invites all to come unto Him, “black and white, bond and free, male and female” (2 Nephi 26:33). The Gospel of Jesus Christ unites us together as one.
Dieter F. Uchtdorf said “The Saviour loves all of God’s children regardless of their socioeconomic circumstance, race, religion, language, political orientation, nationality, or any other grouping. And so should we!”
Let’s embrace our differences!
I hope that we can gratefully acknowledge God as our creator and honour that unique heritage that unites each one of us.
What does it mean to be a child of God to you?
