ALL

The next word in our new vision statement is ALL. Here is an interesting word indeed!

Think about it. This is an issue for us just as it was for the religious leaders of Jesus' day. And there are a lot of complicated arguments and questions people will ask.

On face value, all is, well, all. It's a basic word, and we know what it means. But now take that same word and apply it to who God loves, who is doing what they should, who we WANT to seek or invite, and suddenly a simple word raises lots of reactions...many of them fraught with emotion.

Think back to the story of the rich man's banquet I referred to in my posting on INVITE. I think this really pushes to have a very broad (and in fact basic) understanding of ALL. Those on the roads and in the alleys were the ones who came to the party...because, indeed, the others would not come.

But it doesn't stop there. Jesus' entire ministry was about broadening everyone's understanding of who were God's people. Jesus was thoroughly Jewish, but he and his disciples sometimes pushed the envelope with the religious purity laws. Jesus was interested in relationship...primarily the relationship of people with God, but also with one another. And usually when we start limiting our understanding of ALL, our relationships become, to some extent, broken.

As a closing thought for now, check out this video of a song by Mark Miller called, "Draw the Circle Wide" and think about your understanding of who it is we do (or should...or perhaps should not) seek and invite. Where might God be calling us to widen our circle? How can we be in relationship with others even in the midst of perhaps disagreeing with some of their choices?