The inevitable tide of the Church history has been expanding circles of inclusion. It started with Paul and the Jerusalem council wondering about including the Gentiles. It continued with people like Patrick reaching out to his former heathen captors. John Wesley turned his heart towards evangelizing the Native Americans and the eventual movement to reinvigorate the church in the working class it had left behind. Later, the church in America would fracture, split, and eventually try to reconcile concerning fully including and loving people of African descent. Only 60 years ago, the United Methodist church recognized the Holy Spirit working through women clergy as equal to that of men (although actual equality lags behind). All of this stems, of course, from Jesus' own teaching and actions to the outcast, the unclean, and those whom religious officials had deemed unworthy of God's grace and salvation.
During his final moments before his arrest and crucifixion, Jesus taught his closest disciples one final commandment - love one another. Not judge one another or condemn one another or exclude one another. Earlier in his ministry, when asked what was necessary for salvation, Jesus said to love the Lord with all your heart, all your mind, and your soul and all your strength and to love your neighbor as yourself. As he hung from his cross, Jesus looked down on those crucifying him and in a final act of love asked God to forgive them. If Christ loved so much as to forgive those who abandoned, denied, and even murdered him, maybe we should base our ministry as his people on that same principle.
To defend excluding people who want a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, people cite historical president, church doctrine, and even some scripture passages. It's the same kind of argument made by the Pharisees, the council at Jerusalem, the counter-Reformationists, the defenders of slavery, and the keepers of racism and paternalism. We've debated and disagreed and dug in our heels for centuries. Here's the real crux of the matter for me - one day, I'll stand before God and be held accountable for my work as a shepherd of God's people. Which choice better reflects God's plan for salvation: to have included and loved those whom God has judged beyond redemption or to have excluded those whom God intended to be part of the kingdom? Do I dare cause others to trip based on my interpretation of religious codes, or do i dare to trust God's grace and love others as I have been loved?
