Every Nation, Tribe, People, and Language

This also relates to the theme of hospitality, but I thought it deserved it's own post.

"After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb." ~ Revelation 7:9
   
Sunday was a beautiful, sunny, blue-sky day that I haven't seen yet since I've been here. (It's been cold and rainy/snowy). I biked to a nondenominational Latino-Italian church not far from me and I loved it! I had a one-to-one translator of the sermon, I sang some English worship songs in Italian and Spanish, and I met a bunch of great, really welcoming people. During the service, I kept thinking of the verse from Revelation mentioned above. It was such a beautiful thing to be worshiping the same God with strangers of different languages, and to know that we will one day be reunited when we are gathered around Jesus' throne in heaven!

After the service, I was invited to a church member's apartment for food and I wasn't sure what else. But normally if someone invites me for food I will accept. Ten of us squished around a tiny table to feast on pasta, ribs, salad, potatoes, and pastries. I didn't say much during the lunch, but I did a lot of smiling and spoke whatever broken, elementary-level Italian I could. It was nearing 4pm when our lunch turned into an informal Bible study, which was a great surprise! We read some of 2 Rei (2 Kings...that took me a while to figure out), Salmi (Psalms), and Luca (Luke) and I followed along in my English Bible and attempted to share my thoughts. These wonderful people prayed over me for my studies, my understanding of Italian, and probably other things I couldn't decipher. I biked back to the Parco Ducale next to my apartment, sat on a bench, and prayed. God was teaching me to sabbath and to "be still and know that [He is] God" (Psalm 46:10). There was so much to take in from this wonderful day. I have so much to be thankful for.