In order to get the Webb Space Telescope to see everything it is supposed to see, NASA has been aligning the eighteen mirror segments of the primary mirror so that they can see clearly.

In order to get the Church Universal to see and do everything it is supposed to see and do, the LORD our God aligns people to see, hear and feel clearly. (Isaiah 6:9-10; Matthew 13:14-17).

As the Apostle Peter put it, we are “living stones” who the LORD our God is turning into “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, God’s special possession.” (1 Peter 2:9).

Why?

So that we “may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2:9).

What is the result of aligning with everyone who has been called out of darkness by ridding ourselves “of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.”? (1 Peter 2:1).

“Once [we] were not a people, but now [we] are the people of God; once [we] had not received mercy, but now [we] have received mercy.” (1 Peter 2:10).

This chosen people of God sees, hears and feels the needs and desires of all kinds of people. (Matthew 28:18-20).

Jesus himself taught Peter this truth:

—Jesus praised the Prophets Elijah and Elisha for blessing people who were not Jews. (Luke 4:26-27).

—Jesus praised the faith of a Roman centurion. (Matthew 8:5-10).

—Jesus praised the faith of a “Canaanite” woman. (Matthew 15:21-28; Mark 7:24-31).

—Jesus blessed a despised and rejected woman by offering her living water—a spring of water welling up to eternal life. (John 4:13-14; cf. Isaiah 53:3).

—Jesus saved a despised and rejected woman from being stoned by hypocritical men. (John 8:2-11; cf. Isaiah 53:3).

—Jesus taught women that they are equal partners with men in marriage (Matthew 19:1-8), in education (Luke 10:38-42), and in spreading his good news (Matthew 28:1-10).

On the day of Pentecost, Peter learned that the one and only Spirit of the LORD revealed the good news about Jesus in many different languages to men and women from many different nations and cultures. (Acts 1:14; 2:1-12,16-18,21).

As the good news about Jesus spread to many different kinds of men and women, nations and cultures, the Spirit of the LORD taught Peter that he should not call anyone impure! (Acts 10:27-29,34-35,44-48).

Paul, Peter and James (the brother of Jesus) convinced the Church Universal that we should not make it hard for anyone to turn to Jesus. (Acts 15:19).

We should not insult poor people. We should not flatter rich people. (James 2:1-4).

Instead, we should become a chosen people built on the teachings and ways of Jesus. (Matthew 16:18; 1 Corinthians 3:10-11; Ephesians 2:19-22; 1 Peter 2:1-6).

We should be branches that abide in the same vine—Jesus! (John 15:1-18; Romans 11:17-24)

We should give the right hand of fellowship to other followers of the Way of Jesus with whom we may disagree, aligning our efforts to help the poor. (Galatians 2:1-2,8-11).

We should become a chosen people who see, hear and feel the needs and desires of ALL kinds of different people, nations and cultures.

How can we do this?

—By meeting together with other followers of the Way of Jesus regularly, encouraging each other to “spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” (Hebrews 10:24-25).

—By encouraging and building each other up. (1 Thessalonians 5-11).

—By seeing those who are disheartened and weak so we can encourage them. (1 Thessalonians 5:14).

—By hearing each other always rejoicing and continually praying—giving thanks in all circumstances! (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

—By feeling the need to help each other “strengthen [our] feeble arms and weak knees” so that we empower each other to “throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles” (Hebrews 12:1).

—By aligning with each other to become the  “primary mirror” that fixes “our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith”, enabling us to “run with perseverance the race marked out for us” (Hebrews 12:1-2).

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To help understand when we should be “divisive” and when we should not be “divisive”, please read my blog “Grace and Peace—Titus”.

For additional thoughts arising from the Webb Space Telescope, please read my blogs “The Webb Space Telescope—Reaching the Place of Service”, “The Webb Space Telescope—Years of Preparation”, “The Webb Space Telescope—Liftoff!”, “The Webb Space Telescope: God’s Unfolding Plans”, “The Webb Space Telescope: Shedding “Whatever Entangles Us”, “The Webb Space Telescope: Many Parts, One System!”, “The Webb Space Telescope: Fashioning Each Mirror”, “The Webb Space Telescope: E Pluribus Unum”, and “The Webb Space Telescope: Seeing Things We’ve Never Seen Before”.

In my book Visions of the Church (published together in one volume with my book Visions of America), I use the troubled—but ultimately triumphant—flight of Apollo 13  as the narrative thread to provide an overview of 2,000 years of Church history in a mere 80 pages.

For information about the Webb Space Telescope, please check the official NASA information at jwst.nasa.gov.