Ute, Choctaw, Onondaga, Lumbee, Shinnecock, Mohawk, Navajo, Hopi, Cree, Blackfoot, Seminole, Hoh, Ojibwe, Pawnee, Chinook, Commanche, Lakota, Haida, Mik’maq, Tlingit, Apache…and many more.

Each one a First Nation. Each one with its unique cultural heritage. Each one speaking its own language.

Lose the culture and its language and the nation loses its identity. Buffalo Jim, a Seminole elder, said, “The Creator told us … things will happen just before the end of the world. The first thing is that we will lose our language. That will be one of the signs. And already, you see, the children cannot speak the old language anymore.”*

And how does being a Christian affect an Indian’s cultural heritage? Can a person be truly Native and truly Christian at the same time?

The Apostle John, seeing a heavenly vision, wrote: “After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb” (Revelation 7:9 NIV).

Note John’s all-encompassing summary of who appeared among the great heavenly throng—those “from every nation, tribe, people and language.” Worshipers from every background offered praise to the Creator in every language.

Often language and culture separate people. I was told, during a recent visit to Alaska, not to call an Eskimo an Indian or an Indian an Eskimo.

Alaskans also like to use the terms for the specific Eskimo subgroups, such as Yupik, Inupiat, Alutiiq, Sugpiaq, et al. Eskimo is the cover term for all the Eskimoan subgroups. Similarly, Athabascan (also spelled Athabaskan) is the cover term for the Athabascan subgroups, such as Gwichin, Tanana, Denaina, Beaver, and Carrier. Athabascan is not a tribe. It is the name of the family of tribes.

How then can so many people from so many distinct cultures, each speaking a different language, find unity?

In Revelation 7:13, an elder asked John, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?”

John said he didn’t know so the elder answered his own question. “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (Revelation 7:14 NIV).

This verse offers two essential ingredients found in Christian unity. While our cultures and our languages may bring division, these two elements serve to unite.

First, we all hurt. “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation …”

The people gathered around the Creator’s throne had all experienced tragedy, trials, and tribulation. They’d all in some way been hurt.

People in pain find common ground. When we’re honest about our pain, disappointments, and doubts, we connect with others who have been hurt in similar ways.

A friend wrote she’d grown up in a family with an alcoholic parent. I wrote back, “I understand your pain. I too grew up in an alcoholic family.” In our pain, we connected.

At a church gathering, I once shared publicly my struggle with pornography. Several men came up later and confessed that they too struggled with an addiction to porn. In our struggle with an addiction, we connected.

Pain is not limited to a people group, a nation, or a tribe. People hurt, and our hurt, when shared, can serve to unite us.

Second, we all hope. But the Wisdom of the Elders doesn’t speak of a general hope. It elevates one hope above every other.

Speaking of those who’ve gone through the great tribulation, the elder said, “… they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”

The worshipers “from every nation, tribe, people and language” shared a common hope in the Lord Jesus Christ.

This is the power of the Gospel message, to bring peace to a heart at war. It offers healing to the soul suffering under the burden of addictive behavior, loss, and pain.

Jesus Christ didn’t come to wipe out a cultural heritage or erase a Native language. He came to release the captives.

“… say to the captives, ‘Come out,’ and to those in darkness, ‘Be free!’” (Isaiah 49:9 NIV).

“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners …” (Isaiah 61:1 NIV).

Jesus said, “… you will know the truth and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32).

So what is the truth and how do we respond to it?

The truth: the Creator embraces “every nation, tribe, people, and language.” Every culture has representation among His worshipers.

Our response: We acknowledge what the Creator acknowledges—every people group has worth. We embrace our unique cultural heritage and accept those whose backgrounds differ from our own.

The truth: two common human experiences help to overcome our differences—hurt and hope.

Our response: We share our hurts. We focus on our common hope in Jesus Christ.

I met Walt for the first time at a family reunion. We talked about faith issues and our different religious backgrounds. Before we parted, I said, “Walt, I want to ask you the only really important question, one I ask people all the time. Do you love Jesus?”

He smiled. “I sure do.”

Embrace your cultural heritage.

Speak your native language.

Share your hurt and your hope.

Love the Lord.

*Wisdomkeepers, Steve Wall and Harvey Arden, p. 79

T. Neal Tarver, originally from Texas, now makes his home in Wisconsin. He is the author of Dark Eyes, Deep Eyes which can be purchased at Amazon.com or your local bookstore.