All Nations!

I’m just aware enough of sports to know that North America has been hosting the World Cup. I catch little snippets of cultural celebrations on restaurant TVs and wonder at the way a team can represent and stir national pride. I don’t follow the games or standings much, but there’s a lot to affirm in the effort. It’s a pure and joyful expression of what it means to be from somewhere. We do our best to set aside the geopolitics of state and focus on the indelible glory of a unique people. That’s a tall order these days, but I do think these athletic events help.  It can be hard to separate our understanding of what the Bible calls “the nations” from the way we’ve been shaped by the modern idea of the nation-state in a global economy.  We’ve developed polar ways of thinking about these things. On one side, there’s the view that each nation is equal and that tolerance is the highest good. On the other end of the spectrum, there’s a belief that one kind of government is best, and all others should conform. Often we toggle back and forth between these convictions depending on which seems more advantageous at the moment.  When we read in the Psalms about “the nations,” or in the New Testament about “the gentiles,” it’s clear that the authors are speaking from the particular reference point of Israel among and even above the other peoples of the earth. There’s a kind of exceptionalism on display for sure, and if we’re not careful we can miss the purpose and heart of God’s plan in blessing his “special possession.”  What does the Bible teach about the future of the nations, and what does all that have to do with us? Let’s talk about it this Sunday.