Input from different cultures ...

Monday, Sept 24, 2012. We have been on a wedding in the UK this weekend. A friend of ours married … and it was a fantastic day! The bride had an Asian background, the groom was fully British. The families had come together, flying in days before from different parts of the world.

Different cultural perspective …

The weekend was fantastic. When you meet old friends which you cannot see all the time, it is always good. But this weekend was special. Of course, a wedding is always special. But somehow I felt privileged to be part of this event … with two Christians coming together in marriage, with a special worship service in church, full of kindness, with the celebration after service and the wedding dinner in the evening, full of thankfulness!

After dinner we listened to the speaches of the groom, and the fathers of the freshly married couple. Reading greetings from very different parts of the world gave the event a special flavour, since relatives were living in Australia, Hong Kong, South Africa, New Yourk and Malaysia. Perspective means to have a wide view, to see things both far away and very close. Letters like this can give a perspective … a global perspective, with clarity about all differences, but yet united in love and support.

But perspective was there also in the worship service. One of our pasters from our local church talked about faith in his message. The perspective of life can be a perspective, which God gives to us. The perspective of a marriage can be him, Jesus! He is the past and the future …

Faith perspective …

It can be so fantastic to be in the community of Christian believers. The holy spirit unites us, in the forgiveness which only Jesus can give. We are different, but we are one. We do not need to be the same, but we can be very close to each other. There can be a unity of faith, which is beyond understanding - between people who do not know each other, but belong to each other through the community of faith.

I think this is a real perspective, a great perspective, a wonderful future, which is there already now. Unity in faith, between people who are as diverse as you could imagine. Love and support in an environment, where you meet people you have never seen before. Perspective needs a vision for the future - and here it is. It is the vision of Jesus, the vision of the kingdom of heaven.

Lucky who has this perspective. Lucky are those, who are blessed by the holy spirit, who can grasp the love of the eternal one and live in it. Faith can and will give a perspective to our life! It is not just any perspective, but the perspective of a community which fills your heart with joy beyond understanding! (Roland Potthast) ... more texts