I love the blessing given to Zebulon by Jacob and its application to America and the church of Jesus Christ.
“Zebulon shall dwell at the shore of the sea;
he shall become a haven for ships, and his border shall be at Sidon.”
Genesis 49:13
The land of Zebulon with its place on the sea became a refuge for ships from distant lands and for foreigners who needed a haven. Have you read the poem, The New Colossus, which is on the bronze plaque at the base of The Statue of Liberty?
Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
Emma Lazarus
Wave after wave of Americans came from the rest of the world. And yes, God forgive us, those who came in previous generations were often prejudiced against new people coming to our shores. They looked different. They talked different and had not learned our language. Their customs were noting like ours. But we also became stronger with each new group of immigrants.
I always enjoyed living in The Puget Sound region which, like the land of Zebulon, became a haven for those who came from other lands. God gave me many friends. I came to consider of them as my children from other cultures who spoke other languages as they were rapidly learning English. I thank God for you whom I taught and encouraged as you taught and encouraged me.
I have recently been reading the Book of Acts whose theme is the gospel reaching out to all peoples on the earth. As Paul wrote in Galatians 3
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free,
there is no male nor female, for you are all one in Christ.”
The gospel breaks down every social or cultural barrier that separates people. Most of us need to struggle with this truth with one group or another. But as we draw nearer to Christ, we come into the true unity of the church of Christ.
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