UNITED BY STUDENT HOUSING
Students at the University of Buffalo are being entertained these days by two roommates from the school. The students, strangers until both responded to an ad about a room for rent, quickly became best friends. One is from China and the other is from Algeria. Jorge Zhang, known as “the Chinese roommate” in their videos, and Mohamed Ali Larbi Daho Bachi, known as “the Algerian roommate,” post Snapchat updates about their lives and travels together. “I personally eat it up,” says psychology major Laiba Qader. “You see all this stuff happening [in Israel and Ukraine] and here’s someone from China with their Algerian roommate, taking them to Wendy’s.” Economics major Yugendran T Kannu Sivakumaran agrees. “They make my day. With all the arguments online, they are a pair of friends that show the world ain’t so” messed up.
UNITED BY THE SALVATION
As Paul continues developing his argument in Romans, he says that the ethnic divide between Jew and Gentile no longer matters, in light of the new covenant. The word of salvation is near to anyone who calls upon the name of Jesus, regardless of race, ethnicity, or any other difference. For everyone in Christ, the word of God is near and available—not remote and unobtainable.
Questions
- What restores your hope that humans can build bridges across their many self-imposed divides?
- How do you reconcile Paul’s assertion that the word of salvation is near to everyone, even though no one can call upon the name of the Lord without hearing it?
- What ways do we share this message of Christ’s lordship? Are there ways without words?
