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DRAWING LARGER CIRCLES

“‘Teacher,’ said John, ‘we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.’ ‘Do not stop him,’ Jesus said. ‘For no-one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us.”
‭‭Mark‬ ‭9:38-40‬ ‭NIV

"He drew a circle that shut me out —
Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout.
But Love and I had the wit to win:
We drew a circle that took him in."
Markham

Prof Habibie, Indonesia 3rd President, said our problem now is, “identity politics”. People are drawing circles to exclude each others.

The disciples seemed to have a very small circle that only recognised certain badges and banners. Circles that can contain only a small number of people.

When I first visited Scotland, it took a bit effort to find the house I’d be staying in Edinburgh. I stopped at a shop to ask for direction, and the owner was a Pakistani Muslim. He was very friendly. When he found out that I was from Indonesia, he immediately said, “assalamu alaikum.” (May peace be upon you!). I spontaneously responded, “Wa alaikum assalam.” (May peace be upon you too!). At that moment, I felt “at home”. Even after he found out that I am not a Muslim, his friendliness remained the same.

That Pakistani drew a circle to take me in! His is a circle that big enough to embrace differences.

How about us, Jesus’ followers...? What kind of circle that we have...or drawing?

Jesus’ circle is big enough to include and to contain everyone: “whoever is not against us is for us.” Further, Jesus also said, “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). Jesus’ circle of love is big enough to reach out, embrace and include the whole world (John 3:16).

Help us Lord, to learn how to draw ever larger circles of inclusion. Circles that are large enough to include everyone because ours is a religion of love in which everyone can belong.

~plt230518

#pltwrites #circlesoflove #mark9#drawinglargercircles #inclusion#embracedifferences #religionoflove

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