On the out and on the in

 Exclusion from our community, whether it is a faith community or a secular society or general community in which we live, is something that we should all be aware of. Even within any one group there is always an 'in' group and a group which is seen to be on the 'outside' when it comes to decisions, policy, camaraderie or anything that is being undertaken together. One only often has to look at a gathering after a church service or at a social meeting to quickly determine who is 'in' and who is 'out'. In the famous story of Lazarus and in the society at the time it was the 'leper' who was on the outside. (As a side it is often fascinating to see that in the Midrashic texts the prohibitions regarding the leper are seen as deeper psychological issues rather than just a straightforward understanding of the disease). In making the decision as to who is 'in' and who is 'out' we are making a judgement often on little factual evidence but rather a gut feeling or tradition.

In the reading from Jeremiah the context is one where the people have given up and all they know is war and violence so no land exchanges hands until the despised Jeremiah initiates a transaction that tells of the coming bounty (32:6-15). What was in was the understanding that no land was exchanged but here a person who is generally despised initiates something new. At what point do we stop our own judgement of others and begin to accept that those that we despise may be filled with God's love for the other. In our churches and ministry gatherings we need to be very careful with regards our labelling of the other. Too often it is our need to regulate who is 'in' and who is 'out' that removes us from God's presence as we continually judge in our terms and not in God's terms. Everything that we see is coloured by our own imperatives rather than the imperatives of God's work. In a manner of speaking we are like those that are ensnared by our own desires leading people into ruination and a severing of their ties to God (1Tim 6:9). 

Even as children we are taught to judge who is 'in' and who is 'out'

Yet, when we move to be Christian and stand up to say that this is our faith we are moving to be images of Christ and God in the world. If we are to become more Christlike we need to ensure that we reflect the understanding that we do not overlook the person we walk past on a daily basis without judgement. Recently, Martin Percy wrote that we make judgements on a routine and daily basis as it is in our nature being apart from God. This makes us people who automatically categorise the lepers in our society whether they are actual lepers or just a group we categorise as being unworthy of our attention. However, to God all are worthy. Once we begin to exclude and make people 'out' then we fall away from God creating the chasm that is between Lazarus and the rich man. The faith of following Christ is a faith that is accepting of all in the sight of God it is not one that rejects a person, for whatever reason, but rather loves them into being who God wants them to be. It is we who make the judgements of who is 'in' and who is 'out' not God to God all people are in no matter what we may think or consider to be right or proper.

The letter to Timothy speaks about the temptations of riches (1 Tim 6:9-10) including that most misquoted verse (6:10). It is however more important to note what follows as this is the key as the author writes "shun all this" or words to that effect (1 Tim 6:11) so as to pursue those things which are closer to God. It is not the temptation of riches per se that is being written about but the sole pursuit of these things as this is what changes our view. Once we start along the line of wanting more in terms of the riches of the world we increasingly make our judgements in the world and of the world. This is when we get caught up in the spiral that takes us away from God as we begin to follow those around us in determining the right and the wrong rather than aligning our hearts with God. We begin to move towards the pursuit of everything that is worldly rather than that which is from God. In doing so we alienate the other as they are not of us and thus we determine our judgement on them.