Gracism: The Art of InclusionSample

I Will Lift You Up

Let’s look at the first saying of a gracist that we find from 1 Corinthians 12.

A number of years ago, I was at Heathrow Airport in London. When walking through the airport, I had to transfer from a train to the plane. In order to do this, I needed to elevate from one floor to another. In the United States, we call lifting devices affixed in shafts in buildings “elevators.” The purpose of the elevator is to lift up a person or group of people from one floor to the next. In London, however, elevators have a different name; they are called “lifts.” Stepping onto a lift, I ascended from the train level to the plane level. How fitting an analogy! Right there, I had an “aha” moment. I thought, This is exactly what my role in the lives of people should be, especially those on the fringes. Would it not be a wonderful thing for believers to picture themselves as uplifters to help others move toward their plane in life so they can fly above their circumstances?

A gracist is someone who extends positive favor to others regardless of and sometimes because of their color, class, or culture. In 1 Corinthians 12:23, the apostle Paul refers to treating others with “special honor” (NIV). Special honor is needed for those who others treat with less honor. A gracist extends positive favor and gives special honor by lifting up those who are on the fringes, in the minority, or in need of extra care. A gracist says, “I will lift you up.”

Lifting involves speaking up alongside individuals whose voices are ignored, silenced, or dismissed. There are people all around us who need special honor because they are on the sidelines of popularity or culturally overpowered.

Racially speaking, I would love to see White, Black, Asian, Arab, and Latino believers become elevators of grace to one another. What would happen if we were to release a force of encouragers who keep their eyes out for those who have been made to feel excluded or invisible?

Let us meditate on who we can give “special honor” to so they know that their lives matter to us. Let us lift people up in our neighborhoods, at our dinner tables, in our boardrooms, and in our churches.

Who in your life could use a lift right now?