I came across this quote from John Calvin today and thought it was remarkable. Calvinists are commonly portrayed as Christians who are primarily interested in themselves because they are God’s “elect”, but here we see that Calvin’s concern was not limited to any small group of people, but rather all who dwell on earth. While Calvin emphasizes praying for and building up the household of faith, he encourages us to embrace those who are outside our theological boundaries because we do not know, as he says, “what God has determined concerning them”.
“Now if we so desire, as is fitting, to extend our hand to one another and to help one another, there is nothing in which we can benefit our brethren more than in commending them to the providential care of the best of fathers; for if He is kind and favorable, nothing at all else can be desired. Indeed, we owe even this very thing to our Father. Just as one who truly and deeply loves any father of a family at the same time embraces his whole household with love and goodwill, so it becomes us in like measure to show to His people, to His family, and, last, to His inheritance the same zeal and affection that we have toward this heavenly Father. For He so honored these as to call them the fullness of His only begotten Son [Eph. 1:23]. Let the Christian, then, conform his prayers to this rule in order that they may be in common and embrace all who are his brothers in Christ, not only those whom he at present sees and recognizes as such, but all people who dwell on earth. For what God has determined concerning them is beyond our knowing except that it is no less devout than humane to wish and hope the best for them. Yet we ought to be drawn with a special affection to those, above others, of the household of faith, whom the Apostle has particularly commended to us in everything [Gal. 6:10]. To sum up, all prayers ought to be such as to look to that community our Lord has established in His kingdom and His household.” (Source: Institutes of the Christian Religion)