Posted by Abbey Thangiah • Feb 21, 2023
Unity seems to be a very complicated word. When we proclaim “1 DUMC”, do we mean it? Regardless of our race, we always will have this attitude that “we are better than them”. As much as we seem to have the “United Nations”, we know even the epitome of peace in the world has its own issues.
Jesus is the only answer to unity. Jesus treats everyone the same. If you look at the love he had for his mother, his disciples, the Jews, Samaritans and the Gentiles, you wouldn’t notice the difference in how He treats them all. I wouldn’t be surprised that he liked and loved everyone, even his enemies. He was willing to give everyone a chance to discover the true Saviour that He died for all of our sins. He was the perfect Sacrifice.
Why am I in DUMC? It is because I see how DUMC emulates the Love of Jesus.
My late father dreamed that every child deserves an education. He would drive to the villages and estates. He would gather all the children in the church hall so that they could study. The teachers of the church (my mother included) would teach these kids and help them with Math and English. When my father passed away last year, many families who came for his funeral could trace their success to the days of these tuition and study classes held at church.
During the pandemic, many foreigners were stuck in Malaysia. Tourists drained their finances within the first 6 months of the pandemic. Living in a house alone, I had the privilege to host a 70-year old American, a Filipino transgender and an Italian chef for a few months. It was never easy living in a house of diverse cultures. Due to the Movement Control Orders, we were in our rooms most of the time. The American and the Italian took turns cooking for all of us. Due to a misunderstanding, they parted ways. After that, I hosted a Moroccan couple for four months. It was my first time living with so many cultures. It was certainly an eye-opening experience. Even when they were at their best, there was always something we would disagree on.
Living with various cultures and people groups isn’t easy. I realise that we need to be a blessing to others just as Christ taught us to. It has been a blessing to be a part of a church that has taught me to love everybody and I pray that we will learn to live out the uniqueness of “1 DUMC”.