Tartan

On their recent visit, family members brought a final new supply of tartan ties and scarfs.

All this tartan certainly keeps me grounded in my own heritage.

There are some very distinctive things about Scotland, including the highlands, castles, bagpipes, kilts, haggis, whisky, shortbread, plain bread, square sausage, thistles, tartan and of course the Loch Ness monster, Nessie!

I’m not quite certain what is it, but there is something about tartan, that so many people find so interesting.

Tartan: “a woollen cloth woven in one of several patterns of coloured checks and intersecting lines, especially of a design associated with a particular Scottish clan.”

I guess there are some folks who are fascinated by the Scottish clan system and any potential ancestry connections.

Anyhow, it got me thinking about the many different cultures and traditions of all our missionaries in the Belgium/Netherlands Mission.

We have quite a mix of missionaries from all around the world, each with their own distinctive genealogy, customs and practices.

As each one of them departs for home, they receive a tartan gift from us. Although this transfer we may be giving out a few more!

I’m grateful too for my good friend Bryan at Kingdom Kilts who has looked after me well these last 3 years!

Just like the many colours, lines and patterns of a tartan scarf or tie, I thought about how we are all different, all unique and how each of us embrace those differences about one another in the mission field.

One thing is clear however, we just don’t accept these differences about one another, we love and embrace them.

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!”

Lets 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?