Adrian Jacobs, Senior Leader for Indigenous Justice and Reconciliation, once preached at Meadowlands Church on Revelation 21 in which the glory or doxa of the nations will be brought into the new Jerusalem. The glory of the nations are the cultural treasures (doxa) that each peoples possess. This is the ultimate picture of being an intercultural community. Robert Chao Romero explains that the author of Revelation, John, “teaches us that those of every ethnic group of the world possess distinct cultural treasure and wealth that is of eternal value.”

This made an impression on someone sitting in the pews of that church, Syd Hielema.

I have had the pleasure to work with Syd Hielema since I became a Senior Co-Leader of Intercultural Ministry. Syd has been working in Intercultural Ministry for many years in the CRC and was one of the founders of the Intercultural Cohort which continues on to this day. I recently interviewed him on how the mission of God relates to ministry to those with a refugee history.

He said, “The church is an appetizer of New Jerusalem, making space for the gifts of the nation to be celebrated and treasured.” As a foretaste or sign of what is to come, the church is supposed to look like an elaborate spread, as diverse and intricate as the parts of a human body. 

For Syd the mutuality of diverse parts of 1 Corinthians 12 and the unity in Christ in Galatians 3 provide the foundation for the mission of God and refugee ministry. While many members of his church are able to bring gifts of generosity of money, cars and homes, other parts of the body, especially those with a refugee history, have other gifts to offer.  

Inspired by his wife Evelyn, Syd has been part of refugee ministry for 15 years and he has seen it all. Together, Syd and Evelyn have seen a family-like-bond form with a new Muslim family in their bubble during the pandemic. They have seen the effects of being a political target such as a hesitancy to trust. They have seen cultural misunderstandings causing confusion over very valid safety concerns. They have seen people become resilient through trauma and those who feel forced to lie to survive because of fear and underlying trauma.   

They have seen many of the gifts of each culture, the same gifts which will be brought to the King in Revelation 21. Romero breaks these gifts into two kinds: one is the “tangible aspects of ethnic culture: food, music, dance, literature, architecture, etc.” The second are “the distinct lenses and perspectives which every ethnic group brings to the world and the Body of Christ.”

Syd focused on the latter gifts. Some of these gifts include a passion for prayer, and the embodiment of trust in the midst of difficult trials. Syd was inspired by a mother's faith and courage in the face of illness and the death of a child. “Courage and resilience in suffering,” says Syd, are key cultural gifts among “many more waiting to be discovered.”

Over the years, Syd has seen the difficulties in the transition from parts of Christ’s body operating independently to relying interdependently on each other.  In response to this, a team at Meadowlands has developed a plan with 4 pathways. 

1. Leadership pathways

Finding ways to develop leaders with intercultural humility and competence. 

2. Storytelling pathways

Places for stories to be told to encourage, inspire and challenge long held assumptions, which may not be helpful for today. 

3. Self-Awareness pathways

For Syd this means, “blind spots of cultural assumptions that are named.” However, correcting others should be done in kindness “with a sense of humor rather than land mines.”

4. Fellowship pathways 

Meadowlands congregants are opening their homes to the whole church each Sunday for fellowship and a BBQ. They are hoping 50 diverse people come each week to find community.

Syd and Meadowlands seek to implement these pathways this Fall. A word kept coming up during the conversation: perseveringly. Syd seeks to “develop a number of pathways not quickly but perseveringly." “Embracing new ways of being church take a lot of nudging and patience,” cautions Syd. 

Syd has experienced many of the challenges of intercultural ministry, yet he keeps on perseveringly forward. This is perhaps one gift or doxa that he with his people will bring into the new City of God.