From the Chaplaincy

Inclusiveness

Why do we accept division in our society? It is said that social media today reinforces such divisions, but they have existed for centuries and humans have long been inclined to at least accept if not encourage them. In Jesus’ time many of the divisions that existed in society were the result of strict rules about who should interact with who.

Jesus however did not accept these limitations; he did not observe the social codes of his time.

There are several accounts in the Bible of Jesus sitting down to eat with “publicans and sinners”. The word “publican” is generally translated as “tax collector” who had a very poor reputation. The word “sinners” on the other hand, while often understood to mean people who have done bad things, can also be taken to mean – from Bible times - those that did not closely follow the intricate details of religious ritual law, or in our current day they might be considered those who do not conform to so-called “normal” approaches to life in a particular society. And this could be for many reasons, cultural or religious background, political views, gender identity, and so on.

When the Bible describes Jesus sitting down with them to eat, he was not just hanging out with them, he truly wanted to know them. At the time, to eat a meal with someone was considered one of the most intimate kinds of personal contact. This demonstrates that Jesus did not accept the divisions imposed by society, he wanted to include everyone in his preaching, regardless of their background or how they presented. 

Later Paul was to write to the Galatians “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (3:28)

In a similar vein, Mary Baker Eddy encouraged those that attended her church to “love one another with that love wherewith Christ loveth us; a love unselfish, unambitious, impartial, universal, - that loves only because it is Love.” (Pulpit & Press 21:2)

We can all reject division as Jesus did and focus instead on what unites us.

The Chaplaincy Team