I’ve been thinking about yesterday’s post “A Teaching in the Temple Area.”  It seems this teaching is as much about making room in our hearts and minds for the inclusion of people who are different than us.  It seems that so often people are fighting for inclusion.  Everyone has a need for acceptance.  If we can’t make room in our hearts and minds to include other people into our lives, how will make room anywhere? What better place to accept people than into the realm of prayer, study and worship?  It’s easy to hang up signs that say – everyone is welcome here.  But how well are we living that out as individuals, as small groups and as entire congregations?

What are the things that hold us back from accepting seekers and people who want to pray and study with us?  Where are the places  in our church buildings and communities that we can meet together and make people feel welcome?

If we can’t make room for people whom we can see, are we really make room in our personal lives for God?

If we say Christ lives in us and we in him – then perhaps we can ask for more his presence in our hearts and minds so that we are more welcoming.  In order to include more people, Jesus left the temple to live, work, be and teach with more people.  He expanded the temple area and he founded a church on a man who was willing to risk his own life to help spread the Good News of God’s Love.

We don’t necessarily have to risk our lives – but we can expand our hearts and minds – we can risk loving more like God in Christ and risking, trusting in God’s  love we can help people hurt less.

Because of Jesus, we can risk walking into a church, and hope to be recognized and included in prayer, worship and study.

Lord,   Thank you for wanting to include people from every nation and tribe in your house and the family of God.  Please help us to accept and include each other.  Teach not only how to work and live in the world together.  Teach us how to love, pray and study together, help us to fear each other less and respect you more.  Renew the church on earth in our day.  AMEN