"The leaves are for the healing of the nations."

I'm still reflecting on the experience I had at Luton Roma Church two weeks ago.  I saw myself ankle deep in water.  Then waist deep. Then up to my neck and then floating in the presence of the Holy Spirit.  I went away thinking how pleasant it had been but keen to have a closer look at Ezekiel 47 whence comes this prophetic vision.  The river of water leads out to sea and gives rise to all kinds of fruit trees that grow on the banks of the river.   "There fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing." [Ez 47:12].  The theme is carried over to its ultimate fulfilment in Revelation 22:1-5 where the river is running through the city itself and now the "the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations (ethnic groups)".  God is poised ready to heal all ethnic groups of earth.  The river carries us forward towards both fruitfulness and healing.  The end goal is not a nice charismatic experience for its own sake, but healing for those people groups on earth that so desparately need God's healing touch.  Participation in what God is doing has the effect of drawing God's future closer to the present.  "Here I am.  Send me."

"I have two new brothers!"

Yesterday at my regular Sunday gadjio church we had three gadjio baptisms.  Two were of guys who are taking an active role in our Wednesday Luton Roma Church.  I invited folk to share during the service.  One Roma woman who comes both Sunday and Wednesday came forward and said "Now I have two new brothers!  They are closer to me than my own brother."  This was an extraordinary thing to say.  Clearly she understands at a deep level that the fellowship of the baptised transcends mere blood relationships.  Furthermore, she was challenging us all to see that fellowship in Christ transcends racial differences too.  She has very close relations with her own kith and kin.  But she has already begun to experience a new kind of sister/brother love that goes beyond what she had known in life thus far.  This is in no way a repudiation of her Roma ethnicity of which she should be proud.  Neither is a rejection of her own people.  Rather she is glimpsing a new kind of humanity in which all are invited to discover their identity in Christ.  All other ties, whilst significant here on earth, fall away when viewed against the backdrop of eternity - foretaste of which we experience in the here and now.  Her simple statement is thus prophetic, pointing to the future God has prepared for us all.  "Chi amperetsia t'avel, chi voia te kerdiol per phuv sar ando rhaio!  Your Kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven!"