Brian Larkin, the chief of the Waterloo Region Police Service, said that he believes everyone in the region, and the world, wants a place to belong. In his work in crime prevention, the people that commit crimes, want to have a sense of being wanted and needed. Refugees are so appreciative of Canada to have a safe place to belong after years of not having a home.
In the Bible, there are many stories of people wanting to belong to a community and to God. The writers, from my personal perspective, are writing trying to find or explain God. There is a story about Ruth and Naomi . Both of their husbands die and they search for a place to belong, and they return to Naomi’s home community to find that community, although they are very different people now. They are welcomed back. And Ruth was a foreigner.
Jesus often meets people who have been shoved out of the community. For example, many of the people that he heals are on the edge. A woman that has been bleeding for 12 years has not been able to go to the temple because she is considered “ unclean”. Jesus heals her. He also has some encounters with people who have a skin disease like leprosy. He heals them because he wants them to be back in the community. Women are second class people in the time of Jesus, and Jesus talks with them, and makes them feel included. And even the guy next to Jesus on his own cross, wants to be included in the kingdom of God. He is told by Jesus that he will be in “ paradise “. He is forgiven and is included in the Kingdom.
Often in the church, we have wanted people to believe. I have told them they must believe in the Bible and believed in salvation in Jesus Christ, and that the Holy Spirit will guide them in all of life. For many Canadians, this language is no longer understandable . People do not go to church, and so old languages of faith are not useful. It needs to have much interpretation . People need to feel that they belong at church. The church has also had certain expectations about how people should behave and act before we call them members. It gets confusing and people don't trust the church . They need to feel that they belong before they know how to behave or believe.
We have to make people feel like they belong to invite them to be part of us, in the church. But , we do not own the church; God is the owner, and God wants everyone to be be part of a community of God. A community of belongers. We come from a variety of experiences in our lives, so we need a place to belong. We do not all fit into the same faith boxes. But, we all need a place to call home, where we feel loved and cared for in our lives. My hope is that this what the church should be about in all of its activities. A place of welcome and hospitality, not a place of judgment if you do not quite believe in the right way.
Jesus invited the gentiles, ( everyone who was not Jewish,) the sick, the outsiders and the children. Let us model our church of inclusion after the activity of Jesus of Nazareth.
Ponder Anew 