Christians do a decent job of keeping an eternal perspective on things. We often remind each other that the present sufferings are nothing compared to the glory to come (Romans 8:18). Or that we will soon be marvelling at the Lord’s return (2 Thessalonians 1:10). Or that, in the end, justice will be done and the resurrection is our guarantee of it (Acts 17:31). These are all great examples of lifting our eyes from our everyday, time-bound circumstances and seeing into the throne room of God. It can be such a comfort!

But we have a harder time developing a global perspective. Although we easily enough remind ourselves of eternal realities, we still get myopic about life in this world. We still tend to think that our little corner of the world reflects what life is like all over the world. And that simply isn’t true.

Take education for example. In Australia, as we approach a federal election, education is rightly one of the key issues of concern. How do we fund our schools, ensure high quality teaching, and provide equal access for all Australian children? These are important issues, and they generate a lot of heat.

But it is worth taking the global perspective on education. Figures from UNESCO tell us that 17% of the world’s adults are completely illiterate. In sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, around 67 million school-age children still don’t receive an education.

Locally, we in fact have it good and waste a lot of time complaining that we don’t have it better!

Of course, someone could respond that it is well and good to have a global perspective if your job or family or background gives it to you, but we can hardly expect average Joe to be able to see things that way. His concerns are local.

I have to disagree.

Average Joe and Josephine have easy access to global information through television, the internet and even cheap air travel. We live in a time when it really is possible to discover such things as where your Easter chocolate was made, how your decisions about furniture purchases in Adelaide impact on rainforests in Brazil, or what your bank is doing with your superannuation funds. We have more information, readily available, than ever, with just a few clicks of the mouse. We simply can’t plead ignorance any longer. Apathy yes, but not ignorance!

The Bible encourages this global perspective. From the early pages of the Old Testament, God shows his concern for the globe as a whole, with his promise to Abram that all the peoples of earth will receive blessing (Genesis 12:3).

The gospel mission is to the whole world, and Jesus left that message with the apostles: make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19). And whereas the Roman Empire aimed to dominate the known world, the early Christians “turned the world upside down” (Acts 17:6, ESV) by preaching the message of the servant king, Jesus, and caring for Jew and Gentile, slave and free, man and woman alike.

Christian faith requires us to keep both an eternal perspective and a global perspective. We are to take the Word to the world, and with it the deeds that express the love of God. This is our responsibility, and our deep privilege and joy.

One caveat: some of us risk becoming so concerned about the globe that we actually forget our own “corner”, and this is tragic. If you aren’t caring for your physical neighbour, you probably shouldn’t be caring (yet) for your global neighbour. Look around you and see what needs doing first!

Overall, the changing face of the global church will help Aussie Christians to take a global perspective. As the centre of Christian activity shifts from the West to Africa, Asia and South America, we will become even more aware of the pressing issues that the Global South faces. When we do so, I hope we will see just how richly we have been blessed and just how much we have to share.