The Shepherd's Hook

Fear about "Truth and Action": Aren't We Doing Enough?

We are Easter people, filled with the Good News of hope and salvation to share precisely with a hurting world.  In these 50 days of Easter, I have been reflecting on our congregation’s vision: “Extending God’s welcome to all we meet along the way” (adopted February 2009).    

What were we thinking?!  What kind of welcome do you think God offers?  What about the unforgivable, God?  What about those who have committed crimes?  What about those of a different political persuasion and lifestyle choice than my own?  What about those of another religion, skin color or ethnic group?  Does God welcome all of them, too?  And are we really called to do the same?  Really?  What were we thinking in 2009?!  Give us a break!

Our reading from 1 John on the 4^th Sunday of Easter, said this (and it rather terrifies me):  “We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us — and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. How does God's love abide in anyone who has the world's goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help?  Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.” 

Truth be told, in February 2009, when we adopted our vision statement, we were thinking exactly like Easter people.

And this May, I am sensing (albeit fearfully) a renewed invitation from God…to reach out and share this radical welcome all the more!  Extending welcome is about more than just inviting people to church (while that is important); it is about how we live in the world, basking — and taking action — in the joy of Christ’s resurrection.  “Alleluia! Christ is risen,” and so we extend God’s welcome!  These two must be linked: Easter & welcoming “the other”.  In Christ, we too burst out of our tombs!  We can never fully extend God’s divine welcome…but we can always be extending our arms even wider, as the Spirit takes over and flings open our hearts beyond our own zones of comfort, safety and stability.  Let us welcome until it hurts!  That’s loving in “truth and action” – laying down our lives for one another.  Losing our lives, to find them in Christ.  Yes, unfortunately God calls us to welcome them all:  the unforgivable, those who have committed crimes, those of a different political persuasion or lifestyle, those of another religion, skin color or ethnicity.  Yes, God’s love involves serious risk.    

I don’t know about you, but I don’t like the sound of that.  The idea of risk fills me with fear and hesitation (I’m sweating just typing it).  I want to say things like, “Aren’t we doing enough already?”  “What if I happen to like my life?”  “Can’t we stop talking about these reckless reach-out-and-welcome sermons from the Bible, especially in these tough economic and political times?”  “We’re doing the best we can, God!  Can’t you see that?”

But Christ’s resurrection is love and welcome beyond boundaries, even our boundaries of death and fear.  And while we might experience at times “welcome fatigue”, Christ just keeps moving on down the road to embrace the stranger, the outcast and the alien.  Sisters and brothers, let’s follow Jesus!  Let’s love also, not in word and speech, but in truth and action…even if it’s scary.

And God – the same God who goes ahead of us – will be right next to us.