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The Wonder of Engagement
Jesus spent almost the totality of his ministry engaging people of different communities. He was gentle and affirmed their identity as being part of the family of God. Race and nationality were not issues because Jesus offered all people the same opportunity to believe and to follow him.
Ephesians 2:14 (NIV) says Jesus broke down the “dividing wall of hostility.” Instead of holding himself at a distance from lepers, Jesus was proximate. Rather than protecting his reputation by not speaking with a prostitute, Jesus spoke to her with genuine love. Instead of giving in to popular demands of religious leaders and seeking the path of power and prestige, Jesus was a friend of outsiders. And rather than continue Jewish tradition, and avoid the region of Samaria, Jesus journeyed right through its heart and even made one of its citizens the focal point of a parable.
In Matthew 25 Jesus commends and speaks to the first group of people who loved others. Notice what Jesus says in verses 37-38 (NIV): “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in?’” In other words, this group of people was so committed to loving others and engaging with people in suffering that they could not recall when they had loved in the way Christ described. It was part of who they were. It was a rhythm.
This is how we should live. We should engage the community. It should be so much a rhythm of our lives that we are not even aware we are doing it because it is the normal expression of our love for Christ. This is how we need to think of combating racial injustice in our communities. Our love for God and others should be so strong that we naturally confront injustice whenever we see it and stand for the marginalized even when others are silent. This engagement starts with noticing people. Instead of looking through them or staring at the floor, we look into their eyes and see them as God’s creation.
Prayer
Father, help me to engage with people who are different from me. Help me to open myself up to challenges others are facing and to know how to care for all who you created in your image. Amen.
About this Plan
The more you understand someone’s history, the better you can see their humanity. This is true for individuals as well as society at large. As we fill in the gaps of our collective knowledge on race relations, we can grow in understanding, empathy, and solidarity. We can pave the way for society to move beyond showing support from a distance toward loving one another in long-term advocacy and friendship.
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