"Exclusive"
"Elite"
"Tight-knit"
"Club"
"Family"
The words I've used above could be used to describe a country club, a fraternity, a gang, a workplace...or a church.
While many of these words have good connotations of closeness, there are others that point to exclusion. And that's where churches or Christians in particular can run into trouble.
It's interesting to me how some churches are defined by their demographics--there are white churches and black churches, rich churches and poor churches, churches for single people and churches for families, churches for young and others for older people.
When you walk in the doors, you immediately know whether or not you fit in--whether or not you can join the club or if you will always remain an outsider.
Some of it can even come down to a look--Is your hair big enough or edgy enough? Are you thin or chubby? Do you have tatoos or the clean-cut look? Do you wear designer clothes or shop at Target? No matter what your answer is to any of the above questions, there is probably a church specifically designed for you.
Forgive me, but I think that's actually really sad. Shouldn't we all--black, white, older, younger, edgy, conservative, rich, poor--be able to come together? We're all people. We all need God--and each other. And most importantly, we need to welcome any person who walks into our church doors just as they are...because that's how God loves and welcomes them. (Note that I'm not saying Christians should love sin...in ourselves or others...but we should completely love people.)
Here's what Jesus said:
"...If you walk around with your nose in the air,
you're going to end up flat on your face,
but if you're content to be simply yourself,
you will become more than yourself."
To be completely honest, I've personally been on both sides of the coin--a snotty Christian clubber myself and at other times, on the left-out side. Neither experience is great--trust me. But I hope that I'll change--that I'll be less concerned about myself and whatever side of the club I land in--and to be more concerned with embracing others. Christianity is more than a club--it's a cause.
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