Bring it on!  Much as I'm enjoying the brief reprise in the rugby calendar which is allowing some summer sports to shine, I'm not talking about the feast of tennis, cricket or otherwise...  No, I'm talking about the Kingdom of God - BRING IT ON! 

Living here in India for nearly a year now has taught me a lot.  But I think one of the most valuable lessons I've learnt is that we (you and I, wherever you come from) should have more in common because of Christ, than differences because of culture. 

I've come to loathe the phrase, 'you don't understand because it's cultural'.  In the nicest possible way, rubbish!  I'm not saying cultural differences don't exist - I've lived in lots of places, some where the differences were obvious and expected, and others where the differences were more subtle and surprising.  More, I think that some things we put down to cultural differences shouldn't exist if we are all committed to being kingdom people. 

One of the wonderful joys of my time here has been connecting with brothers and sisters in Christ from the widest possible spectrum of society.  Despite circumstance and language barriers, there is a connection, a recognition, an understanding.  We know something of the life the other is leading and the struggles they face despite the enormous differences in our lives.  So much can be said through a prayer of words neither understand and a smile which says so much more than words ever could.

So I say BRING IT ON!  I mean now.  Let's recognise how much we have in common and how much strength can be derived from that.  Let's be recognisable as children of God to those around us.  Let's show the world the Kingdom of God culture!