Beloved, I urge you as aliens and exiles to abstain from the desires of the flesh that wage war against the soul. Conduct yourselves honorably among the gentiles, so that, though they malign you as evildoers, they may see your honorable deeds and glorify God when he comes to judge. For the Lord’s sake be subject to every human authority, whether to the emperor as supreme or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right. For it is God’s will that by doing right you should silence the ignorance of the foolish. As servants of God, live as free people, yet do not use your freedom as a pretext for evil. Honor everyone. Love the family of believers. Fear God. Honor the emperor. (1 Peter 2:11-17, NRSVue)
This devotion will post after I have arrived back from a trip I am taking to visit Tanzania and the Morogoro Diocese, which is the companion to the synod I serve in the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America). I was wondering about how I need to conduct myself to honor the culture I was visiting. I wrote this devotion before that trip, and I am preparing to be myself and still conduct myself in ways to honor their culture and learn how we move and live together.
I was advised by a friend who is the liaison to the ELCA for companion synods to be myself and to be prepared to answer questions about my appearance for those who want to ask when they get comfortable with me. I know that I will get questions, but being true to myself is always the right answer. I am who God created me to be, and that is who all of us should be, and not shrink ourselves to fit in others’ boxes, but also honor those who may not understand how we present ourselves in order to not stop unity before it begins.
Strive for unity but never at the expense of who you are in God.
aSacredRebel 