Global GospelSample

From Everywhere to Everywhere

BY GRACE SHIM

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

Some years ago, I walked the dusty streets of Kathmandu with a Nepali leader as he pointed out key buildings and landmarks. We turned a corner onto a street lined with nonprofit organizations serving the Nepali community. As he described the work of each one, he paused at one particular building and said, “They only take care of their own.”

His words struck me like an arrow to the heart. At the time, I was leading a ministry that offered care exclusively to expatriate missionaries, even though we were located in the middle of a Thai neighborhood. Was this our witness to the local community, that we only cared for our own? That moment marked a turning point, leading to a significant shift in our mission. Today, the ministry provides mental health care to both expatriate and Thai communities.

As followers of Jesus, we witness to the world what matters to us. It’s tempting to only care for our own, to seek first our own comfort or greatness rather than God’s kingdom. But Jesus declares in Acts 1:8 that you and I are his witnesses—testimonies to the forgiveness of the cross and the power of Christ’s resurrection. In the face of suffering and injustice, we are witnesses to God’s love, healing, and justice.

Just a few verses earlier, the disciples ask Jesus when their people would be restored. Under the heavy yoke of the empire, they longed for God’s shalom—peace, wholeness, and reconciliation. And into that longing, Jesus calls them, and us, to be his witnesses, especially to the vulnerable, oppressed, and forgotten.

For many of us, Jerusalem is where we feel most at home—those like us, those nearby. But Jesus says we are to be his witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Not “or,” but “and.” Judea and Samaria represent those who are in proximity yet “other,” who elicit our discomfort, fear, or even hostility. The ends of the earth include cultures and contexts far beyond our own. Jesus calls us to all these spheres with the promised power of the Holy Spirit. We cannot do it alone.

Ironically, it’s often easier to care about injustice globally than to live justly and compassionately right where we are. But Christ calls us to be whole witnesses to a whole world.

Growing up, I read Acts 1:8 as if my world was the center, that the gospel moved “from the West to the rest.” The ends of the earth were places like Africa or Asia, places I assumed needed the gospel most. But after living and serving in Asia, I saw the passage in a new light. My Asian sisters and brothers read Acts 1:8 from their center. Their Jerusalem is Bangkok, Manila, or Delhi. When they think of the ends of the earth, they name places like the United States, a nation deeply in need of the gospel’s transforming power.

God’s mission is indeed “from everywhere to everywhere.”

As you begin this 30-day journey, you are invited to hear stories and reflections from those who are bearing witness to the whole gospel. May their lives inspire and challenge you to deepen your own witness, from your Jerusalem to the ends of the earth.

Reflection Question

Where is your Jerusalem, and how does that shape your perspective of the gospel?

Prayer

Jesus, thank you for your Holy Spirit who empowers me to be your witness. Give me the courage to step beyond what is comfortable and familiar. Confront any fear that holds me back from loving boldly and proclaiming your truth with my life. May I reflect your global gospel wherever I am, near and far. Amen.