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In the Word Wednesdays: Finding a Sense of Belonging [PODCAST]

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Urban Cusp in partnership with J Prophet, an IGR recording artist, presents "In the Word Wednesdays." #IWW is a weekly podcast seeking to tap into the transformative power of the Word in culturally relevant ways. J Prophet offers words of hope and Christian inspiration that empower us to meet life's daily challenges.

Scripture: Psalm 24:1

“The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.”

Many of us spend a lot of time trying to find a community to call our own. We can spend months searching for places to call home or a lifetime for people we can call friends. We join organizations, claim representation of our cities, and align ourselves with teams or clubs. This search often carries more weight for folks who have been traumatized by neglect. For folks who have been walked out on, abandoned, and forgotten the quest for belonging can involve more pressing inquiries about self-worth. Not belonging can leave one feeling unwanted, causing one to question their capacity to be loved.

I offer this passage as both recognition and reminder that we all belong to God. This may sound dull or trite, at first, because of the intangibility of such a concept. At the outset, especially when storms brew, it can be incredibly difficult to actually feel like a child of the Most High. But what a magnificent notion! We belong to the one who crafted the mystery of existence! The architect of space wants and claims us! To think that who we are matters to God is an empowering thought. And belonging to God comes without condition, but with protection. When we actively acknowledge that we belong to God, regardless of our circumstances or shortcomings, we will begin to see more clearly the ways in which God watches over us.

I encourage us to habitually reflect upon the ways, big or small, that God has protected us. Careful and attentive reflection of this sort reveals that we may often miss out on opportunities to see how God claims us as His own. And then, after the acknowledgment that we belong to God, we’ve got to willfully give ourselves over to Him, to find and pursue the purpose He has for us. We give God glory when we adhere to His plans for us! But even when we can acknowledge that we, ourselves, belong to God we’ve got to acknowledge that everyone else is also a child of God. If we all recognized the divine ordering for everyone’s humanity, this world would undoubtedly be a more respectful, loving, and compassionate place. We belong to God! Let’s own it!

Do you have any reflections on this week's "In the Word Wednesdays" post? If so, share them with us.

Podcast music composed by Hayling

J Prophet is an IGR Recording Artist from Mt. Vernon, NY. He is currently working on a Master of Divinity at Yale Divinity School. You can follow him on Twitter (@JProphetPAP), Facebook (J Prophet), and his website at JProphetPAP.com.

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