our daily bread

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Dexu Xia

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Nov 12, 2018, 10:52:20 PM11/12/18

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See Your City

All peoples on earth will be blessed through you. Genesis 12:3

“See our city the way we do.” A Detroit, Michigan, urban development group used that slogan to launch its vision for the city’s future. But the project came to a sudden stop when members of the community noticed something missing in the campaign. African Americans make up a large majority of the city’s population and workforce. Yet people of color were absent from the crowd of white faces that showed up on signs, banners, and billboards urging all to see the city as they did.

The countrymen of Jesus also had a blind spot in their vision for the future. As children of Abraham, they were primarily concerned about the future of Jewish people. They couldn’t understand Jesus’s concern for Samaritans, Roman soldiers, or anyone else who didn’t share their family roots, rabbis, or temple worship.

I relate to the blind spots of Detroit and Jerusalem. I too tend to see only people whose life experience I understand. Yet God has a way of bringing about His unity amid our diversity. We’re more alike than we realize.

Our God chose a desert nomad by the name of Abram to bring blessing to all the people of the world (Genesis 12:1–3). Jesus knows and loves everyone we don’t yet know or love. Together we live by the grace and mercy of One who can help us see one another, our cities, and His kingdom—as He does.

Father in heaven, please open our eyes to people and hearts who are more like us than we are inclined to believe. Help us see our own need of You.

Everyone everywhere is more like us than less like us.

看看你的城市

地上的万族都要因你得福。-创世记12章3节

密西根州底特律市的一个城市发展集团，以“从我们的角度，看我们的城市”为标语，向人们展现城市未来发展的愿景。然而，这个宣传活动却突然中断，因为社区居民发现其中有一个盲点。在这个城市，绝大部分的人口和劳动力都是非洲裔美国人，但是出现在宣传活动中的招牌、横幅和广告牌上的却都是白种人。

与耶稣同时代的犹太人对未来的愿景也有一个盲点。身为亚伯拉罕的后裔，他们自然只注重犹太人的未来。他们不能理解为何耶稣要关心撒马利亚人和罗马士兵，或是任何跟犹太人文化、血统、信仰不同的人。

我能理解底特律和耶路撒冷居民的盲点，就像我只看到那些跟我有类似人生经历的人。然而，上帝却能在我们的差异中实现祂的合一。或许你我都没有意识到，我们都极其相似。

上帝拣选了沙漠中的游牧人亚伯兰，将恩福带给全世界的人（创世记12章1-3节）；耶稣也深爱我们所不认识、不喜爱的人。如今，我们一起生活在上帝的怜悯与恩典之中，这位上帝能帮助我们像祂那样地看待人、看待我们的城市，以及祂的国度。

亲爱的天父，求祢开我们的眼睛，让我们也关注，那些看似与我们不同其实相同的人。
求祢让我们看见，自己是何等需要祢的帮助。