Call no one unclean

In our vows for baptism we are asked:


Do you confess Jesus Christ as your Savior, put your whole trust in his grace, and promise to serve him as your Lord, in union with the church which Christ has opened to people of all ages, nations, and races?

One might think that the church has always been opened to people of all ages, nations and races but that is not the case. The early church struggled hard with opening itself to the non-Jewish populations that were invited in by Jesus and Paul. New people bring new customs and don’t necessarily value time honored traditions.

Acts 10-12 presents a key moment in the life of the church. Would it turn inward and remain a Jewish sect or move outward to become a world faith? The other apostles had good reason to be concerned: they knew deep down that welcoming the Gentiles as equals would change their theology, ritual, and emerging church.

We still struggle with diversity today. There is both a richness and a threat when opening our lives to new people and cultures.

I do want to make something clear about my involvement in the events of last Thursday evening’s demonstration at the library. I was not protesting anything. I believe in the right for people to speak their mind and assemble freely. I was instead lending my voice to the message that “we believe we have been called to show respect for all humanity, bring love to our neighbor, and show compassion for those who suffered unspeakable horrors.” and “Even more important, we believe we must stand together to support a vision of a Flathead Valley where people are unified in diversity, living with respectful mutual understanding, and affirming all people as sacred.” My participation was intended to raise the voice of Jesus’ love louder than any voice of anger, fear or hate. We don’t need to be in direct conflict but we also cannot remain silent.