The Nations Are Closer Than You Think
One Sunday at church, we sang in one voice: “Here I am; send me to the ends of the earth.” As I looked around the room, I realized, in tears, that the nations were already sitting next to me.
For most of my life, I had imagined missions in places other than where I was. I grew up in the Dominican Republic, and from a young age I had a deep sense that God was calling me to serve him. At one point, I thought that might mean becoming a missionary. But in my mind, the ends of the earth were far from home.
In God’s providence, my family eventually moved to the United States while my husband attended seminary. After that season, the Lord called us to serve in the Dallas area within a Spanish-speaking community, and over time, that ministry became a church plant.
At first, we assumed we would be serving people who were very similar to us. But that quickly proved untrue. Yes, many people spoke Spanish like me, but they came from different parts of the world. The same words did not always mean the same things. And cultural differences were far wider than I expected. What I once thought might require moving overseas was unfolding right in front of me.
Today, our church plant includes people from more than 15 nations. In many ways, it has felt like an international immersion all in one local place. The Lord, in his kindness, has given us a front-row seat to witness that the nations are often much closer than we think.
For many years, I viewed missions primarily as efforts targeting one people group at a time. And I praise God for those he calls to go. The church must keep sending, supporting, and praying for missionaries who bring the gospel to areas where Christ remains unknown.
But the Lord is also bringing the nations near. They are in our neighborhoods, in our children’s schools, in our workplaces, in the stores we visit, and in the churches we attend.
The people around us have not been placed near us by chance. The Lord determines times and places, and he does so with redemptive purpose (Acts 17:26–27). He has placed us where we are for faithful witness.
So, how can we start serving them?
START NOTICING
We need to slow down and notice people. It may be the cashier with a foreign name. The parent next to you at the playground. The family your children keep mentioning from school. The neighbor whose first language is different from yours. The coworker whose story you have never taken the time to ask about.
Prayerful noticing is often where our obedience begins. Right there, as we notice and take interest, is also where gospel witness starts.
What if we do not need to create opportunities because God has, in many cases, already placed them in our ordinary lives? Let’s pray for attentive eyes to see the nations that are right in front of us.
EMBODY GRACE
When stepping outside my comfort zone feels difficult, I often say to myself: “The grace of God has appeared” (Titus 2:11). Jesus is grace embodied. He did not love us from a distance. He came near to save us. And the same grace that saved us now trains us to embody it.
Because Christ moved toward us in mercy, we can move toward others in love. By his Spirit, even our ordinary lives can display something of his grace to a watching world.
What if instead of leaving our homes, God is calling many of us to open them? What if our tables could become gospel agencies? What if our churches could become places where foreigners become family in Christ?
In our churches, there are often beautiful bridges to families, friends, and neighborhoods we might otherwise never reach. Ordinary acts of Christian hospitality, offered with genuine interest and love, can serve as a powerful witness to the gospel.
Our instinct to stick with what is familiar can rob us of the joy of noticing the nations around us. Let’s cultivate gospel attentiveness. We need the Lord to renew our love and awe for the salvation he has given us, so that we feel a holy urgency for those who are lost right in front of us.
DON’T OVERCOMPLICATE IT
Christ is too precious not to share with the nations. And the day will come when the nations will praise Him forever. “Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you!” (Ps. 67).
With that day in mind, let’s grow in intentionality by prayerfully noticing and embodying grace toward the nations around us.
We don’t need to overcomplicate it. Start where you are. Learn a name. Ask a question. Welcome someone different from you into your home or conversation. Cross the street to introduce yourself. Stay a little longer after church. Pay attention to the people God has brought near to you.
The nations are closer than you think, and Christ is worthy of praise from every one of them.
