The challenge for Christians, is for us to become willing to trade in our precious identification cards that read, "I am a Christian," for ones that read, "I am a child of God, among the children of God!"
How else will the sons of Abraham cease their deadly siblings rivalry? How else will these three, "the People of the Book," ever come to sit together at the welcome table of their God, not so selfishly identified with one being a Jew, another a Christian, and the other a Muslim, that each one cannot recognize, in the two others, his brother?
This Jesus is an inclusive, all embracing and all honoring in his love and acceptance, welcoming priests or prostitutes, saints or sinners, believers or non-believers, traditionalists or non-traditionalists, Protestants or Catholics, straight or gay, Christian, Jew, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Medicine People and others, with the non-religious included.
We are urged to shine way the walls of division, separation, segregation, and condemnation that appear to divide the children of God into enemy camps, at war with one another.
We are asked to build bridges of love and acceptance, connecting differing races, cultures, religions and members of all humane lifestyles.
|