Different Yet The Same

A week ago I woke up in one place, Leon, Nicaragua, and went to bed in another, Tenafly, NJ. That morning I awoke to a sunny 70 degrees, with the temperature going up to around 93.  By that evening, I was back home here in the Northeast, back to the cold and the snow.  In Leon, I was eating rice and beans and eggs just about every morning for breakfast. Here in New Jersey, it is cereal or a bagel. (Thankfully, both places have coffee!) 

Yes, life is so different between the two places.  In Nicaragua there are no multi-lane highways, making long-distance travel a bit slow at times; here we drive on highways that have six to eight lanes (although the ton of traffic slows us down much of the time). In Leon, many people ride about on motorcycles, carrying the whole family on one bike; here that would never happen. In Leon, most people shop in marketplaces that to us are loud, disorganized, and crazy; here we all shop in our local supermarket—well lit and nice and neat. (Oh, Leon does have some supermarkets—but, most people can’t afford to shop in them!) And, the list of differences can go on and on: the food is different, the houses are different, the culture is different, etc. 

As one travels around the world, they find so much that is different from place to place, each place having its own distinctive flavor. That’s what makes traveling so much fun!  Yet, I have found that, in spite of all the differences, there are some things that are everywhere the same. Wherever you go, children love to laugh and play. In all parts of the world, people want to be loved. No matter the nation or the culture, people need hope. And most of all, all across the world people need God.

In the end, we are all different yet the same. The outer-shell may look different: different clothes, different color skin, different language and culture. But, on the inside we are all people longing to be loved, hoping for a better future, and in need of a relationship with God.

That is why Jesus tells us to “…go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”  (Matthew 28:19-20)  Jesus knew that the people of “all nations” are in need of the good news of the Gospel. He knew that people everywhere need to hear that God loves them and sent his Son, to save them. 

Today, whether you are traveling abroad or through your local town, take note of the people around you. I’m sure you will notice that we are all so different. And, yet if you look closer—maybe a bit deeper—you will also notice that ultimately we are all the same. 

Have a great day! 

Pastor Tim Harris

www.pifny.org