Tuesday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time
Most people are able to recall a time when they excluded others. Most people can also recall a time when they were excluded. These can be among the most poignant and painful memories, especially for kids and young adults. This happens in religion as well. We might remember that after Jesus commanded the crowd to “love you neighbor,” their first response was, ‘who is my neighbor?’ People want to know who they can exclude. This reality is the starting point for our first reading.
Paul is reminding the Ephesians that they used to be the ‘out’ crowd. They were ‘without hope, without God.’ Many of you reading this were raised Catholic; for you and I it can be difficult to imagine what it’s like when you become convinced that a saving truth exists, and that at the moment, you are not a part of it. For some it’s quite unsettling, quite the opposite of peace. This alienation is not something God desires. Jesus came to break down the walls that humans use to determine who’s ‘in’ and who’s ‘out.’ Jesus came so that everyone could belong to the one beloved community. The question we need ask ourselves with humble hearts is, ‘Do I keep building up the walls that Jesus died to tear down? If so, why?’
Many times we commit sins of alienation because deep down we want to believe that we are better than others. Sometimes, however, it’s an honest misunderstanding of what it means to belong to our faith community. The lesson of Christ’s peace is a confusing lesson- we define ourselves as living in Christ WITHOUT building a wall to keep others out.
Our identity as the people of God is not defined by those who are not the people of God. No, Christ ‘has made one where there once were two.’ In Christ there is no “in” and “out.” There are only those who have already said yes, and those who have not said yes yet. When we build barriers that keep people from Christ, and from justice and goodness and blessing, we are the ones saying ‘no’ to the peace our Lord preached.
May the Spirit guide us to welcome all people into a deeper relationship with God gently encouraging and admonishing one another, without building walls. Amen.
—Chris Nieport