This article, written by Pastor Nick Deere, originally appeared in our weekly newsletter, The Beacon on July 17^th. If you are interested in receiving a copy of The Beacon each week and staying up to date on all of the things happening around Broadus, please contact the church office, or click here to view the latest issue. 

As you might have seen, the trees lining the drive to the church

are in a bad state. They have fallen victim to the emerald ash borer,

an invasive beetle that has been spreading in our region. Soon the

trees will have to come down. In talking with those at our church

who know much more about trees than I do, I learned of another

problem that has made this situation worse: monoculture planting,

the practice of planting all the same type of tree. Arborists now

recommend planting a variety of trees so that if a blight or beetle

comes along you don’t lose them all. Having a variety of trees creates

a more resilient group.
 

In its history, the church universal has moved away from

monoculture. The early church quickly expanded out beyond it roots

into the Roman world. Soon the early church moved into areas like

Ethiopia and India. The good news of Jesus extended across various

cultures, and these cultures have a lot to teach each other; from the

Celtic Christianity of Ireland, to the faithful witness of the Chinese

church today, and many more.
 

At times in the life of the church there have been people who have

wanted to seek monoculture instead. At its worst, this impulse leads

to sins like racism, xenophobia, and fear of others. This is something

Paul warns the early church about often.
 

One of the great benefits of being in a city like ours and a church

like ours is that we get a glimpse of the diversity of the church

universal. May we continue to celebrate and live into this truth by

cultivating practices of listening to and seeing every person as created

in the image of God, not only in the church but in all areas of life.
 

- Pastor Nick