Picture Perfect!

Picture Perfect! "A picture is worth a thousand words!" Reflecting on both political conventions what stands out are still pictures capturing the crowds in attendance. There were stark contrasts one audience lacked chromatic variation while the other could claim a cascade of hues. Neither were picture perfect.

As I thought about these differences, political affinity aside my focal point became Sunday mornings and my heart ached. Filled with sadness, I had to admit if taken, photographs of the majority of 21st century churches are confined to black or white. Why does some 40+ years later MLK's words:  "11am on Sunday morning is the most segregated hour in the country" remain representative of the majority of our worship experiences? True, we are drawn to those and what is most familiar and comfortable to us. 

But familiarity and comfort are not descriptors befitting the Jesus movement. Jesus constantly challenged dogmatic religious constructs that were exclusionary and elitist. Jesus intentionally embraced and invited "the Other" (women, children, the poor, physically and psychologically challenged, the foreigner, etc.) to participate in community and "in power". Jesus had little patience with the gate keepers, the political and religious leaders that pursued a narrow vision. The "powers" were more determined to minimize the diversity within its landscapes then to extended opportunities; therefore, "the Other" continually found themselves on the margins and cropped out of the picture.

What kind a crowd would the camera capture at Jesus' convention? Would the pictures reveal a continuously stretching canvass bent on inclusivity? Would we gaze in wonderment at the host's intentionality of: (1) Extending invitations to folks with vibrant tones, diverse tongues? (2) Taking positions ensuring gender equality, rights for traditional and same sex couples? (3) Providing opportunity for both "legal  and illegal", poor, working, middle, and upper socioeconomic classes, the uneducated and educated? (4) Creating tax reform committed to win-win for all? (5) Uniting the nations? to name a few.  Jesus' decision are never centered on the number of votes he might garner; how many people would join his movement; or if he would gain favor. Could this lead to picture perfect?

If so, this picture continues to allude us in our political practices and unfortunately too often escapes our ecclesial and faith pursuits. We, Christians, like others before us have given greater premium to our politics and culture over and above our honest and devout engagement in Jesus-like intentionality of inviting "the Other".

Although, Jesus has told us: "Then the King will say, I'm telling the solemn truth: 

Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, 

that was me--you did it to me." Matthew 25:40 (Message Bible)

Some of us have such ardent political positions believing Jesus espouses only democrat or republican virtues; even when Scripture clearly states Jesus despised imperialism and had only one position, "to do the will of Him who sent me"! For Jesus doing the will of Him (God) meant opening wide the doors of the Church, the Kingdom of Heaven to everyone, not only in name but in practice. Jesus went to uncomfortable places for religious people and invited unlikely people to an ever-expanding dinner table (the Kingdom) with Him.

Does the church lack the theological courage to follow the Christ and Cross of its purported convictions? Both our past and present history says yes. Our challenge is to cross sociological and traditional isles that have become chasms of distortions hindering the church from fulfilling and living into the truest picture of the Gospel. 

The Church's canvass has an untapped expanse awaiting splashes of inclusion of every group of people from: racial, ethnic, diverse sexual orientation, socioeconomic, gender, unchurched, etc.; thus, providing the world with hope and the truest expression of doing "the will of Him who sent us".                 

Until we do, the church will continue to offer 

a distorted picture of her intended self. 

Today, the current picture of the church exposes a lens of indifference and a shuttering rejection of the Gospel. We, the church, are just like our political affinities and conventions -- less than picture perfect. 

Will we commit like Jesus to being a beacon of hope through               

relationship with and invitation to "the Other"?

When we do so, we take steps toward "Picture Perfect!"