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This week my family and I are on vacation in New York City. We've walked miles; taken a cruise to see the Manhattan skyline and Lady Liberty (we got rained on); rooted for the Mets (they lost); eaten pizza, steak, and pho (FABULOUS). 

Then last night we undertook the true rite of NYC passage: we learned to navigate the subway.

As we rode the train back to our Airbnb in Jersey City, body vibrating, arms weary from heavy bags full of fruit from Chinatown and feet weary from too many steps, I found myself looking around the subway car instead of at my phone.

There were people of every imaginable background and walk of life packed into that small space. Young professionals still wearing their office badges. Families with sleepy children. Tourists looking slightly lost (this was us, by the way). Teenagers laughing raucously together. A group of giggling young women wearing hijabs. Elderly couples sitting quietly. Every skin color. Every language. Every style of dress. Every story.

For a few moments, all of our differences seemed secondary to one simple truth: we were all headed in the same direction with the help of a publicly available conveyance and capable driver. We were all giving up control, trusting that we were being taken where we needed to go.

Some passengers talked softly with friends. Others sat in silence, lost in thought. No one expected everyone else to look alike or live the same life. Yet for those few stops, we shared the journey.

It struck me that the Church is meant to be something like that subway car.

We gather from different neighborhoods, different experiences, different joys and burdens. We don't all think the same, vote the same, or tell the same story. But we travel together toward the home being prepared for us—God’s kindom on earth, a place where every tribe, language, people, and nation are gathered in love.

At St. John's, we often say that we are "welcoming all into Christ's transforming love." That's not simply a slogan. It's a reminder that God's beloved community has always been wonderfully diverse. Our unity isn't found in our sameness; it's found in Christ. In Galatians 3:28, Paul writes that  “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

Every Sunday, we step into this shared journey together. We pray together, sing together, receive Communion together, and then return to the places where God has called us to live and serve. Different people, one destination: all heading home.