Tag: inclusivity

Dear Christ, uplifted from the earth

Inclusive Church logo

Today’s hymn from Sing Praise is “Dear Christ, uplifted from the earth” by Brian Wren.  The theme is that of Christ’s universal call to humanity.  The first verse continues “Your arms stretched out above through every culture, every birth, to draw an answering love”.  It’s an easy trap to fall into to think that “our” way of being Christian is the only or best one, or that the Bible was written with our time and culture in mind.  The second verse continues with the theme of his love extending “east and west, near and far”.

If travel broadens the mind, as they say, then engaging (in whatever way we can) with Christians from other cultures is equally important to broaden our understanding of Christ and his Church.  I’ve not travelled as widely as many people, but I have at least had the privilege of joining in worship with Christians in some other countries (mainly European but also in India). I’ve also been in churches in the UK with mainly African or West Indian  members, and met believers from other parts of the world such as Nepal, Ethiopia and South America and seen what Christ means to them.

The third verse looks at inclusivity within our own communities. “Where age and gender, class and race divide us to our shame” is a challenge to each church congregation in its own locality.  My own local parish has recently signed up to the Inclusive Church organisation to show our commitment particularly to disabled people and those of varying sexuality or gender identity. The last verse calls us to recognise ourselves as accepted by Christ as we are, then to reach out to others with that same healing love.

The Bible in a Year – 2 December

If this is your first viewing, please see my Introduction before reading this.

2 December. Acts chapters 9-10

Yesterday I wrote about the changes that Stephen experienced, and his challenge to the Jewish leaders that they needed to change their worldview too.  In today’s reading, several more people are challenged to similar realignments of thinking.  First we have Saul (later called Paul) whose blinding vision on the Damascus road turns him overnight from a persecutor of the church to its strongest witness.  Then there is Ananias who is persuaded by an angel that Saul is now “one of us” rather than “one of them”.

And then there is Peter.  He is challenged in two different but related ways.   Firstly is the vision of ‘unclean’ animals (non-kosher meat)  which he is told to eat, for “What God has made clean, you must not call profane” (9:8). This turns out to be a metaphor for having to accept that Gentiles can be as clean in God’s sight as observant Jews.    And as the Gentiles turn to faith, they receive the Holy Spirit, and Peter realises again that there is no longer any  distinction in God’s eyes between the Jews and the rest of the world.

The lesson about not calling unclean what God calls clean could be applied to many of the ways in which people discriminate against each other in our day – whether on grounds of religion, or ethnicity, gender, age or sexual orientation. “In every nation anyone who fears God and does what is right is acceptable to him” (10:35) should be a key text for those who would challenge such attitudes.

The Bible in a Year – 10 September

If this is your first viewing, please see my Introduction before reading this.

10 September. Nehemiah chapter 9-11

Chapter 9 consists mainly of a recital of the “history of salvation” up to this time – the promise to Abraham, the Exodus and subsequent rebellions and corresponding repentance. Chapter 10 is a covenant of the leaders of the people to follow the Law previously given.  And chapter 11 consists of the individuals and groups of men who were to live in the reconstructed city of Jerusalem.  But I am going to concentrate on one verse from the start of this reading:

“Then those of Israelite descent separated themselves from all foreigners, and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their ancestors.” (Nehemiah 9:2).

This verse sounds worrying at a time when Britain is going through a national crisis about immigration. “Separating oneself from all foreigners” reads as at best a nationalist sentiment, at worst a policy of xenophobia and racism.  Even allowing for the commandment to avoid intermarriage (and therefore prevent the dilution of Jewish teaching) there should be no need to “separate oneself” from those who are different.  The Christian understanding of God’s love for humanity is that it is without borders, and all that matters is faith in God and a desire to live in peace with other people. So how does this statement belong in the Bible?

The nation of Israel was rebuilding itself in and around Jerusalem after several generations, during which gentiles had occupied the holy city.  They felt a need to assert their historic rights to live there.  The newly rediscovered Law was also something fragile, that could be easily forgotten if it was not preserved and reinforced until it had once again been established in people’s hearts.

So this verse seems to be appropriate for the time of its setting.  But that does not mean it is appropriate in 21st century Britain, where practising Christians (or Jews) are as likely to have come from other parts of the world as to have been born here; and where ‘mixed’ marriages can be very successful.