How do you feel about inclusivity? Are you willing to welcome others...anyone to faith in Jesus Christ? We answer quite easily, and usually enthusiastically, "yes!" I wonder, however, if we truly are willing to do so. Our text today reminds us that God looks beyond the outward labels and identifying characteristics we so often recognize. Paul writes, "... there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him." There is no competition here...there is no one more or less qualified than any other to be embraced by God's transforming love through Jesus Christ. "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved," Paul writes. You and I are not the gatekeepers of salvation, nor are we the arbiters of God's grace. Praise God for that!
There is an old saying that bears repeating here. "The ground at the foot of the cross is level." The cross unifies humankind by need, for "all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) My journey to the cross does not isolate my sinfulness, but reminds me that I am but one among many other sinners who stand in need of God's grace.
Welcome others in Jesus' name. Celebrate the grace of God extended for all. Offer mercy to those around you who need God's love. Be inclusive for Christ's sake.
Jim Abernathy
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