"In Christ There Is No East or West," ELW 650
1. In Christ there is no east or west,
in him no south or north,
but one community of love
throughout the whole wide earth.
2. In Christ shall true hearts ev'rywhere
their high communion find;
his service is the golden cord
close binding humankind.
3. Join hands, disciples of the faith,
whate'er your race may be.
All children of the living God
are surely kin to me.
4. In Christ now meet both east and west,
in him meet south and north;
all Christly souls are one in him
throughout the whole wide earth.
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After worship one Sunday, my family went out to eat. My 16 year old daughter wanted to drive herself home while the rest of us went shopping. I told her to head east. I'm sure I said, "east!"
I received a call 45 minutes later from my lost daughter. I asked her if she went east or west on the interstate. "I don't know," she replied, "I didn't think it mattered." "Sweetie," I said, "In Christ there is no East or West, but on the interstate, there is."
She was right, though. At some point east does become west. If that interstate had circled the globe, wrapping it into one complete package, the directional labels wouldn't have mattered.
As Christ wraps us in the circle of his Holy Spirit, we become a complete package: the Body of Christ. May the circle ever widen until the only direction that matters is "Closer to Jesus."
Jesus Christ, we long for the day when all humanity can meet in you as one community of faith. Show us how we can stretch our hands out wide enough to reach and include all your beloved. Amen.
Jill Bergman, '03
Associate Pastor, First Lutheran Church, Columbia Heights, Minn.
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The Luther Seminary
2481 Como Avenue
St. Paul, Minnesota 55108, United States
Telephone: (651)641-3456-
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