This month I will travel to Nagoya, Japan, representing the Nisei Week Foundation as its President.
Together with the Nisei Week Festival Queen and Court, plus chaperones, we will represent the Little Tokyo community as part of the Los Angeles- Nagoya Sister City Association relationship. This is an exchange that takes place each year between these two organizations; the delegation from Nagoya was present during the Nisei Week festivities in August.
In a sense, both groups serve in the role of ‘ambassador’ when we visit each other’s cities. We carry the spirit of goodwill and friendship to continue and strengthen this important relationship.
This month’s visit to Nagoya will be made more important due to the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami earlier this year, and with the recent typhoon that swept through the Nagoya area.
From a faith standpoint, there is a similar dynamic that applies to you and I as Christians in our relationship with the broader world and its people. The Apostle Paul summed it up succinctly in the book of 2 Corinthians:
“So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us;
we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”
Paul wrote these words to a church that was experiencing strife among its members. Mistrust, unethical behavior, and lack of faith were among the problems that plagued the congregation.
Using an analogy from civic and governmental life, Paul reminds the Corinthian church members of who they represent (“re-present”) as the Church of Jesus Christ, and what their role is at its members. They are to be ambassadors for Christ, bringing the message of reconciliation to a fractured church, and with it the spirit of healing and hope.
Paul certainly had first-hand knowledge of this role, as he traveled across Asia Minor spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ as its chief evangelist and ambassador. His model is our model in the contemporary world in which we live, which isn’t that far different than the diverse and pluralistic world he encountered throughout his travels.
Believe it or not, you are an Ambassador; an ambassador for Jesus Christ wherever and everywhere you go. Remember this always, in your continued journey of faith as disciples of our Lord!
Grace and Peace,
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