The Bible says that God “hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth” (Acts 17:26).
One blood. One Creator. One human family.
Our brother Jasper Ladd recently recorded a beautiful song called . Jasper comes from a Mediterranean background, and his own story is a reminder of the beauty found in the many cultures, histories, and traditions God has woven into His family. In his song, Jasper reminds us that the followers of Jesus do not all look alike, sound alike, think alike, or come from the same place. We have different faces, different cultures, different personalities, and different stories.
And yet, when Christ calls us to Him, He calls us into one family.
I love that message because sometimes we confuse unity with sameness. We think that in order to belong together, everybody must become more like us.
But God never asked His children to become copies of one another.
Look at the beauty of His creation. God did not make every flower the same color. He did not give every bird the same song. He did not paint every sunset with the same shades. The Lord seems to delight in variety—and His family reflects that same beautiful hand.
Some of us worship quietly. Some worship with hands lifted and voices raised. Some have known the Lord since childhood. Others have only recently discovered that His door was open to them. Some come wearing their Sunday best. Others come carrying wounds that nobody else can see.
But if we have come to Jesus Christ, we have come home.
Paul wrote:
“For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.”
1 Corinthians 12:12
The hand does not need to become the eye. The ear does not need to become the foot. Every part has its own place, its own purpose, and its own gift to offer.
That means I do not need you to be more like me before I can love you. And you do not need me to share your background before you can call me your brother.
Our differences do not weaken the family of God. When those differences are surrendered to Christ and joined together in love, they reveal how large, how gracious, and how beautiful His family truly is.
The book of Revelation gives us a glimpse of heaven—a multitude “of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues” standing before the throne of God (Revelation 7:9). Notice that their differences have not disappeared. Every nation, people, and tongue is still represented. Yet they are united in their worship of the Lamb.
That is the family Jesus is gathering.
So when you meet someone whose skin is different from yours, whose accent is unfamiliar, whose worship is expressed differently, or whose life story is difficult for you to understand, do not begin by asking, “Why aren’t they more like me?”
Ask instead, “What beautiful thing has God placed in them that He wants to add to His family?”
Jasper’s song carries a message we need to hear: there are no strangers at the Savior’s table. There are only brothers and sisters we have not yet taken the time to know.
The family of God is wide enough for every nation, every language, every personality, and every person willing to come unto Christ.
We are many people with many stories—but through Jesus Christ, we are one.
We are His Family.
Let us pray.
Heavenly Father, we thank You for making us one family through Jesus Christ. Teach us to see one another as You see us—with compassion, patience, dignity, and love. Help us to honor the differences You have woven into Your creation and to receive one another as brothers and sisters.
Remove from our hearts every prejudice, pride, fear, and division. Give us humility to listen, grace to forgive, and courage to love beyond the boundaries that separate us. Unite us in the truth of Your Word and in the love of Your Son, so that the world may see Your goodness through us.
Make us instruments of peace, reconciliation, and unity. May our words bring healing, our actions reflect kindness, and our lives bear witness that we truly belong to one family in Christ.
In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
— Joseph Young