Who is in and who is out? Some are busily concerned about who is a real Catholic and who is not. Some groups of Christians are busily concerned with “Who is going to hell and who is not.”
Who’s in and who’s out in Hollywood? Who is declared to be a loyal American and who is not? What has the fashion industry decreed to be “in” and “out”?
John said to Jesus: “Teacher, we saw a man using your name to expel demons and we tried to stop him because he is not of our company.” Jesus said in reply: “Do not try to stop him. No man who performs a miracle using my name can at the same time speak ill of me. Anyone who is not against us is with us” (Mark 9: 38 – 40).
Jesus also said: “Learn from me for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matt 11: 29). Most of the saints prayed for and manifested humility in their lives. We live in a society that values self-promotion of worth, assertiveness, competitiveness, communicating our accomplishments if we wish to get anywhere and make a difference.
Citizenship in God’s kingdom is challenging, demanding, and yes, exclusive. In fact, one must die to selfishness, self-centeredness, and self-willfulness, something that few people succeed in doing. We can no longer be self-determining if we would be truly citizens in God’s kingdom.
In response to the lawyer’s question seeking specificity as to just who our neighbor is so he could avoid the demands of Jesus’ teaching, Jesus gave a very challenging response. Everyone is our neighbor, even those we hate and think to be our enemies. We must be merciful to all. We must be forgiving of all. We must pray for those who persecute us. And, most demanding of all, we must love our enemies.
All of which is to say that we enter into God’s kingdom by entering into our hearts and souls. It’s a journey and passage within. It requires ruthless and courageous honesty with ourselves. To think we’re “in” and “out” according to the rules we play will remind us that we are on the outside looking in.
God bless! Have a wonderful week!