So then, you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone; in him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling place for God.
~ Ephesians 2:19-22 (NRSVUE)
I wonder, did anyone put their hands over their heart this week and remind themselves, “I belong, I am beloved, I am delightful?” Now, I am not going to make you practice that every week here in worship, but I am going to continue to remind you to let go of the names and the labels that the world gives you because when you do, you stop judging yourself and even more importantly, you stop judging those around you.
Friends, our job as followers of Jesus has never been to judge anyone else. It has never been to call anyone names, to point fingers, to label, or to decide who is in and who is out. Because in God’s dream, no one is treated as an outsider. That’s why I am so excited that at our Annual Meeting today we will be voting on our Welcome Statement, so that “All are welcome” will no longer be just a passing phrase, an empty expression, or a friendly slogan, but it will actually be the vision and the mission of who we are here in Oldtown.
Folks, for generations, the church (universal), meaning not just our church here in Oldtown but all churches around the world, has been used to control society. Many people still think of the church as a place of judgment where strict rules must be followed, perfect behavior is expected, you need to dress and sit and walk and talk and pray a certain way, and mistakes and missteps are punished. Oh, and sure, forgiveness is given, but only at a cost. Friends, how in the world did we think that was what Jesus was calling us to do? How on earth did we get so far away from his teachings? What about the gift of grace? What about being made in the image of God? What about loving our neighbor, whoever our neighbor might be?
When I first read today’s story from the Book of Belonging, there was a line that I just couldn’t ignore. God has always been telling God’s people to trust God’s names for them first. To invite others in. To care for the forgotten and give them new names like Belonging, Beloved, and Delightful. Folks, that is what the church is called to be and do. And as individual followers of Jesus, God made us to be like little mirrors. To reflect what God is like and to act like God in the world.
Oh, my goodness, my friends, no pressure, but I think we’ve got quite a job ahead of us! But please, let me be clear. God calls us to reflect on what God is like and to act like God in the world. But we are never called to think that we are God in the world! After all, that is usually where the problems start! That’s why it is never our job to judge others, to try to control them, or to tell them what to do. We are simply called to love them.
Okay, so if we are supposed to be these little mirrors reflecting God’s love in the world, how might we do that? Well, if we really want to reflect God’s love, we might need to remember Jesus’ upside-down, inside-out understanding, also known as the Beatitudes.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Friends, Jesus knew that these words would not be easy to understand. Jesus knew that this was a very different way of life from what the world teaches. Jesus even knew that this new way of thinking might divide people and create arguments. But Jesus also knew that living and believing this way was the best way to reflect the love of God and to shine the light of Christ for others.
Herbert Samuel, a British statesman and philosopher, and one of the first Jewish members of the British cabinet in the 1930s, once said, “The world is like a mirror; frown at it, and it frowns at you. Smile and it smiles, too.” That’s why the easiest way to share the love of God and the Light of Christ in the world is not to quote scripture or drag people into church. It’s not to look down at or label others as nobodies, mess-ups, heathens, sinners, failures, or outsiders. It’s simply to be kind, to smile, and to let your light shine. As we heard in today’s reading, “God is for you when others insult and reject you for acting like me. But you’re supposed to light up the world,” Jesus reminded them. “The way you act should show others God’s love for them!”
Friends, it may sound like a childish dream to some, an unattainable, oversimplified story of rainbows and lollipops. And maybe it is. But the choice is ours. We can choose to live God’s upside-down outside-in dream being peacemakers who are filled with mercy and pure in heart and who share the love of God with every person they meet giving them a glimpse of God’s kingdom—the kingdom of heaven. Or we can just keep following society’s rules as we judge, hate, complain, and fight with one another, always trying to get and to control more and more.
So, brothers and sisters in Christ, as you go out into your busy week ahead, think about the way you want to live your life and the way that you want to affect the world around you. Do you want to fight for what you think you deserve, dividing and judging and hurting people along the way? Or do you want to truly feel like you and everyone else belong, are beloved, and are delightful? The choice is yours, my friends, but if I can be honest for just a minute… I hope you choose God’s outside-in way and you go out into the world loving, smiling, and letting your light shine!
My friends may it be so. Thanks be to God, Amen!
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