“Whoever is not against us is for us.” (Mark 9:40)
In what would be followed by some of the harshest words of scripture, Jesus casts yet another stunningly wide circle of invitation. The disciples were tattling on someone casting out demons in Jesus’ name, but who weren’t in their circle. “We tried to stop him because he was not following us,” they said. Not, “not following you, Jesus,” but “not following us.”
We live in a time of endless splintering between and within movements. Whether it’s polarization between right and left, “cancel culture” or filibuster, we hear endless examples of people who might otherwise be allies turning against each other.
In this context, Jesus’ response to the disciples is surprising. The stakes for pursuing justice and following God are high… just read the next few verses to know that Jesus isn’t kidding around. But still, there is room for outsiders in the path of following Jesus. No one has a monopoly on building God’s kingdom.
What could this kind of welcome look like in our own lives? Without denying the stakes of furthering a world of peace and justice, can we look beyond our familiar circles to follow God’s call together?
Three Holy Days
In our tradition, we make space on Maundy Thursday to remember central parts of our faith story. We hear about the...
