Diaspora. I’m betting
that’s a word you may have never used in conversation. It’s a word that’s been transliterated from
the Greek, and means “dispersion, or scattering”. The first thing that popped into my mind when
I thought of “dispersion” was the days on my grandparent’s farm when I ignored
their orders and chased chickens around the barnyard. In my experience, chickens tended to
congregate in large bunches, pecking at the corn that has been cast onto the
ground for them. It just seemed “right”
to me that when they congregated together, it was my chief duty to scatter
them! I’d run right into the middle of
the flock and they would take off in every direction, no doubt irritated by the
disruption. But that picture – of wings
flapping and drumsticks fleeing – helps me understand what took place in the
New Testament and before.
There were many times before the early Church formed that
Jews has been dispersed. Many chose not
to return to Israel after the Babylonian captivity and were scattered
throughout Persia. Before the birth of
Jesus, it’s estimated that there were over one million Jews living in Alexandria,
Egypt. Persecution under Roman rule had
caused many Jews to leave Israel, so Jews could be found in all the cities
throughout the Roman empire. Most of the
Jewish dispersion had occurred because of persecution, but God’s purpose was
being worked out in all of it.
Peter wrote to believers in the early church about what was
happening then:
To the pilgrims of the Dispersion in
Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 elect
according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the
Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you
and peace be multiplied. 1 Peter 1:1-2
The persecution of the Church and the consequent dispersion
that took place in the 1st century had resulted in the scattering of
believers in every direction from Jerusalem.
Remember what Jesus had spoken in Acts 1:8 regarding the spread of the
Gospel?
“You
shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria,
and to the end of the earth.”
The Diaspora made it all easier. Jews had been spread throughout the Roman
world, taking with them the knowledge of the one true God. And now believers in Christ could share with
those Jews and others in their cities about the promised Messiah. Read the book of Acts carefully, and you’ll
see how many times the Gospel is spread through the communities that had been prepared
by previous dispersions of Jews.
What’s my point in all this?
Even now, as there is turmoil in the world; as refugees flee persecution
in many countries; God is at work. While
many who flee as refugees are immersed in a false religion, there are also
those Christians who are being scattered for the sake of the Gospel! In refugee camps filled with Muslims who
resist the Gospel, God has sent Christian believers from African countries to suffer
alongside them. I’m fairly certain these
Christ-followers may not see God at work in their predicament, but God’s plans to
advance the Gospel are never thwarted. One
young missionary couple[i] committed
to helping the refugees shared that in the last year, the camp they serve in
Greece has seen churches started within that camp by African refugees
who are housed there! In the midst of
suffering and persecution, the Gospel is being advanced.
When we face challenges in life, God always has a way of
working through them. If you are a
believer who has suffered through chemotherapy, can’t you see how your faith
has influenced the caregivers you’ve encountered? If you’ve lost your job and were forced to
find another, can you imagine that God is bringing the Gospel with you to share
with your new co-workers? If your world
is turned upside-down, don’t despair.
God is at work in you and through you no matter how it seems. As Joshua was preparing to do something new
among God’s people, God reminded him, “Be
strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your
God is with you
wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9) Good advice for each of us.
I’m not the bravest person – in fact in some ways, you might
even call me a “chicken” when it comes to putting myself at risk. But when too many of us “chickens” congregate
in the same spot, just feeding away, God has a way of making us scatter. So, chasing chickens is a good thing,
right? Maybe even a “God-thing”.
Jacob
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