Who Do You Belong To?

     In the musical, "Oliver", he is an orphan on the streets of London in the tough years of Dicken's novel.  He is rescued from hunger and given shelter by a a member of a gang of young thieves ruled by an older man named Fagan. The gang welcomes Oliver with a warm song, "Consider yourself well in, consider yourself one of the family, we have taken to you quite well, its clear you are going to belong!".  Sadly Oliver finds out  that he must pick pockets and steal purses to earn Fagan's room and board!
    The need to belong is a strong part of our humanity. When I was a prison chaplain at higher security it was common for prisoners to join a gang for safety.
The gangs were  based upon color,  city of origin, or ethnicity. They were Black Gangster Disciples, Latin Kings, Dirty White Boys, Mexican Mafia, or Hells' Angels. The gangs never did provide the safe place promised. Marked as a member of these violent  exclusive groups made an inmate a target for violence.
     The Gospel of Jesus answers our need for belonging. In 1 Corinthians 12: 13 it says, "For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body - Jews or Greeks, slaves or free - and we were all made to drink of one Spirit."  When we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior we become part of the world wide body of Christ.  This is a positive family of encouragement and teaching in righteousness. How different than gangs of negative energy bent upon the destruction of others. How different than gangs of deceit and violence to promote power.
      The body of Christ is found in the Upper Room Devotional each day. Members of Christ's body witness from African, Europe, Russia and Asia. Brothers and sisters share from all races and economic classes. It gives me joy to know the one Spirit of our Lord has baptized all these people of different languages to know His forgiveness.. When we feel alone in our decision to follow Jesus may we remember we have a family in Christ world wide. Our secular culture rejects the Lord and his holy moral laws. Find strength to know we are part of an international family which seeks to please God. In Christ we belong to the Kingdom of God which is everlasting and always relevant. In Christ we belong to a family of wisdom and positive examples to guide us to our eternal home.
     Who do you belong to? A political party? A racial group? An ethnic group? Of course we have these human identities but if made an idol they can bring division and hate. May we choose our greatest loyalty to the one body of Christ and to the one Spirit of Love who includes all different kinds of people who are disciples of Jesus.