EDITOR'S NOTE: In October 2021 I began a new venture writing a newspaper column titled "Finding Faith" for the Forum Communications Co. network of newspapers and websites. I was asked to contribute to the company's ongoing conversation about faith, lending a Lutheran and fairly ecumenical approach to the discussion. The column was published in several of the company's papers and websites, including The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead. This column originally appeared as a "Finding Faith" column on April 21, 2023.
By The Rev. Devlyn Brooks
My wife and I recently visited a new “super” Asian market here in town. We’d been talking about the “date” for a couple of weeks, as the opening of this large ethnic grocery store is a big step forward in the diversity of our food sources here in our little city on the big prairie.
We are both adventurous in our food choices, and always up for a good culinary surprise. But even the local press’ stories about the store’s opening couldn’t prepare us for what we found.
While not large compared to the big box stores, the store contained numerous aisles stocked with imported foods, spices and desserts from all over the world. Things I’d never even imagined existed!
And along the outside walls were fresh produce, fresh seafood and frozen meats that rival the big name stores in our market in selection.
The colors, the smells and the variety were overwhelming. Shelley marveled at the live blue claw crabs found in the refrigerated section! I couldn’t get over the explosion of colors. I’m telling you that American food packaging needs a major upgrade!
Shelley and I must have been quite the sight as we slowly made our way around the store, inspecting every section, capturing photos and comparing notes about the things we discovered. We were giddy!
And, as we made our way around, I marveled over the amazing diversity of food stuff that the Creator has provided to the various regions of the world. It truly is the work of an artist!
But, what was even more of a joy was seeing the vast diversity of the folks who joined us as fellow shoppers! There was a celebration of God’s divine creativity all around us! People of many different nations, ethnicities and color, all coming together in the same market to shop for the week’s groceries.
The Book of Revelation speaks a lot about diversity. Google it, and one of the more popular verses is 7:9-10: “After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice, saying, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne and to the Lamb!’”
Most of us spend our working days and our home lives in bubbles of people like us. There’s many reasons why. But getting outside of that bubble to rub elbows with others who represent the broad spectrum of God’s creation is good for us and for all of this earthly kingdom.
I’m curious. … Where have you sought out the opportunity to witness the vast diversity of God’s creation? Let me know!
Devlyn Brooks is an ordained pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and serves Faith Lutheran Church in Wolverton, Minn. He also works for Forum Communications Co. He can be reached at devlynbrooks@gmail.com for comments and story ideas.
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