As a son born to Ghanaian parents, Richard Essiaw knew firsthand how a foreigner from another country struggled to assimilate into the current country they had returned to. This experience was not only experienced in his own life as he returned from Ghana in West Africa in 1993 to America after being initially born in Arlington, Virginia, on April 6 of 1986, but also he often saw similar struggles from other Ghanian family members who would often experience the struggles of culture shock, language barriers, and the overall struggles of adapting to living in another country.

What about having to not assimilate to living in a foreign world as a foreigner or alien? Ever since he became a Christ follower in 2005, Richard Essiaw now had to learn to live in this world as a Christ follower with a biblical worldview without assimilating to--approving of its standards--ideologies, lifestyles, etc. However, when we scan the overall forecast and spiritual temperature of this world or, more specifically, of American Christianity, there is an obvious lack of uniqueness or difference in how we have been responding to the hot-button issues of our days, such as pandemics and racial injustices. Consequently, the family of Christ is at an all-time split that even the watching world has observed.

They are not of this world, is a plea to Christ followers to uniquely and credibly live out the faith in unity during our temporary stay on this earth.