People Are People (Even in Switzerland)

I am always amazed, when I travel, to find that people are people all over the world. I don't know why this comes as such a shock, why I expect them to look different or have different sorts of brains or feelings, but looking around the Zurich airport, I am struck by this fact. Cultural differences occur, yes, and fashions change as do worldviews, but people are people all over the world. They have the same kinds of bodies and the same kinds of emotions and the same kinds of problems and the same kinds of pain. And they all need Jesus. And He wants all of them to know Him.

In the U.S., we go to great lengths not to step on anyone's toes or hurt anyone's feelings or give our opinions where they are not wanted, and sure, it's respectful not to be a jerk. And in cross-cultural missions, we ought to take every precaution to be sure we're building the Kingdom and not western culture. But in either case (foreign or domestic), we ought to be building the Kingdom because people are people, and we all need Jesus.

It's so weird to look around the Zurich airport and think That guy with the fanny pack – I wonder what's going on in his life, what makes him happy, how he might be hurting. He needs Jesus. And the guy behind me with his feet up on a cart, looking at his phone – I wonder who he's hoping will call. He needs Jesus too. And the girl over there napping – well first of all, I'm jealous that she's able to sleep and I'm not, but still, she needs Jesus. Because we're all people, and regardless of language or culture, we're all somehow the same sort of being. We all have broken, dead, messed up things in our lives, and we have all rebelled against the perfect, pure life of God. And we all need Jesus to restore us to life.

The Gospel is for everyone.