“For God so loved THE WORLD that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” – John 3:16
There is no difference, for ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. – Romans 3:22-24
“‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on ALL PEOPLE.” – Acts 2:17
(Emphasis mine)
As Bible verses go, these are some classics. They’re like the Don’t Stop Believin’ and Sweet Home Alabama of Christian culture. When a bunch of Jesus folk get together, there’s a good chance you’ll hear them in the rotation, (or at least, shouted from the third row when it gets quiet).
And for good reason; they speak eloquently to the scope and the magnitude of the love of God, and the reality of every person being in need of and worthy of that love.
The only problem, is that it turns out that many Christian’s idea of “The World”, or of “All People” is rather… limited, rather selective.
Lost of people claim they love diversity, until anybody different actually invades their space.
Our church has adopted the mission statement: Inviting All People Into a Living Relationship With Jesus Christ. We believe that the heart of God is for all of humanity; a diversity that cuts across all delineations, categories and conditions.
It’s a big, beautiful, GOD-sized invitation.
Our student ministry’s mission, as a result, is: Inviting All Students Into A Living Relationship With Jesus Christ…
That kind of openness and vastness has led to something curious: We have all kinds of teenagers in our youth ministry. We have students from every economic level, all spiritual depths, all sorts of backgrounds, and with every conceivable exterior difference.
Our community is multiethnic, multifaceted and extremely diverse. It is a place where athletes, musicians, cool kids, outcasts, prom queens, drama queens, holy rollers and big doubters all stand shoulder to shoulder, all seeking Jesus, all receiving care.
This should be a cause for celebration, and for many people, it is.
Many, but not all.
The sad reality, is that more often than I’d like to admit, I hear the tension in people’s voices:
“I’m not sure I’m comfortable having my kids around those kinds of kids.”
“How do you feel about having so many of them in your ministry?”
“My kids aren’t used to that element?”
Those kinds of kids…
Them…
That element…
Those are the words that a ministry unapologetic about all people, ends up living alongside every day.
When The Church is faced with the messy reality of extending an invitation that truly reflects the heart of Christ, some things have to die; namely our biases and hang-ups, our comforts and prejudices, our fears and our preferences.
In emulating the character of Jesus, we willingly choose to head to the margins, to love the least, and to be relentless in seeking a diversity that reflects Heaven.
I love being part of an All People community. I’m proud to have those kids, and them, and that element there.
We will continue inviting them, because they are part of the expansive, unruly, untamed world, that God so loved, and loves. And besides, to someone, we are all those people.
Embrace the mess.
