From its beginning, Christianity has been a global faith. The apostles preached the gospel across cultural lines, carrying the good news into the heart of the ancient world. The apostle Paul often returned to the image of “the Body of Christ” to illustrate how diversity is not a weakness but a strength. Just as a body needs its many parts—hands, feet, arms, and eyes—so the church needs its many members, working together as one.

One of my favorite parts of scripture in the Bible is in Colossians 1. Starting in verse 15, Paul talks about how Jesus is the Son of the invisible God, the head of the church, the firstborn over all creation. Not only is He the beginning and the end, but He holds everything together.