In June 2024, I was in Africa in a room packed with over 300 people from more than 50 countries. Chairs were squeezed close together, the sound system crackled, and few in the room shared a common language. The speakers alternated between English and Swahili, while groups around the room translated for one another — Egyptians in Arabic, Ethiopians in Amharic, Ugandans in Lugandan. Even if you understood the main speaker, it was nearly impossible to hear over the sea of voices. From the outside, it looked chaotic — and honestly, at times it felt that way.
But everything changed on prayer night. We entered that same crowded room, with the same broken sound system, but this time, people came together as one. Representatives processed down the aisle carrying flags from every nation present. Together, we prayed over each African country, then spread throughout the room to pray for any nation on our hearts.
What happened next was deeply moving. Men and women from across cultures prayed passionately for countries not their own. Many gathered around the American flag, asking God to bring revival to my homeland. In that moment, the flags no longer represented nationality but a shared longing for God’s Kingdom to come in every nation. Our unity wasn’t in language, culture, or homeland, but in Christ. No barrier could stand in the way of God’s family uniting in prayer.
I’ve experienced plenty of awkward cultural moments over the years, but they’re nothing compared to the warmth of meeting brothers and sisters in Christ around the world. Wherever I go, I’m reminded of this truth:
“So now you are no longer strangers and aliens. Rather, you are fellow citizens with God’s people, and you belong to God’s household.” (Ephesians 2:19)
Reflection Questions:
(1) When have you experienced the unity of God’s family across differences in language, culture, or background?
(2) How does knowing you belong to God’s household change the way you see people who are different from you?
Anna N.
Outreach Team