10 And as Jesus reclined at table in the house behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. (Matthew 9:10)
Recently I watched a great clip of social experimentation where the host, an African American comedian, went into the heart of KKK country to interview and relate to the same people who hated him. It was both uncomfortable and fascinating. It got me thinking about how I often push away from people I don’t agree with, many times because I feel “better than”.
Who do you recline with? When I look at our church, and the global network of Christ followers, I worry that we stay with those who most resemble us. Comfortable. Someone reminded me recently that Sunday is the most segregated day of the week. What is so shocking about this is that it is all voluntary. In order for you to meet different cultures or encounter different perspectives, you must be incredibly intentional. Left to ourselves, our friends look like ourselves.
Yet every interaction Jesus had was with someone completely different than himself. As we follow him, it is natural for us to see how much we have in common with the lowest of society. The broken shape of humanity unites us and we realize we are really not that different. All sinners, all in need of the Father’s love. It is when we are faced with opinions and people who make us uncomfortable – who we disagree with – that our spirit grows. It is to these people that we must listen to understand culture and challenge what we think we believe.
Matt simon blog 