A Global God
This is an audio recording of A Global God the Day 5 entry in Today for Seafarers (Vol. 1) devotional by Jason Zuidema.
Listen to the audio by Sheila Margerrison or read the text below:
“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do
not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one
another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you
bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed
by each other.”
People outside of the shipping business might not understand what the term globalization actually looks like in real life. They might not yet see how the world seems to be getting smaller; how we no longer are just connected to people in our own city or country, but also with people from many cities and countries around the world.
For people in the shipping industry, globalization is a daily reality. It is easy to see in any seamens’ club throughout the world.
At the seamens’ clubs in which we serve, we usually see seafarers from at least a half dozen countries or nationalities. On a typical evening we might have men from the Philippines, India, Russia, Greece, Romania, Croatia, and even a few from the Americas. The common working language of these men is English, but they all have their own regional language or dialect also. It can be quite challenging and entertaining to communicate together!
The strengthening of global ties can be seen as both good and bad. It can bring opportunities to some, but it can also hinder the economies of others. Despite this controversy, there is no doubt that it redefines our relationships together. We realize that we will increasingly have to be involved in the lives of people in our own country and of people from other lands.
The Bible tells us we are all created in God’s image. It also tells us we are all each other’s “neighbors.” What this means is that we are called to serve and pray for not only people who are like us, but also people who are different from us.
For Further Thought
Have you served on a ship with a mixed crew? If so, what were the special challenges of that contract?
How can we better respect our “neighbors” from around the world?
What does it mean to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39)?
Prayer
Dear Lord, you are the God over all nations. Thank you that you have provided salvation in Jesus Christ. We pray that we might serve others as you have served us. We confess that too often we forget about the needs of others and focus on our own needs and desires. Help us to love others the way Jesus loves us. In his name, Amen.
