In 1883, Emma Lazarus penned the words to the poem, THE NEW COLOSSUS, to be used commemoration of and as a fund raising initiative for the pedestal on which would stand the Statue of Liberty. Some of the words toward the poem’s end may be familiar to you.
“NOT LIKE THE BRAZEN GIANT OF GREEK FAME,
WITH CONQUERING LIMBS ASTRIDE FROM LAND TO LAND;
HERE AT OUR SEA-WASHED SUNSET GATES SHALL STAND
A MIGHTY WOMAN WITH A TORCH, WHO’S FLAME
IS THE IMPRISONED LIGHTNING AND HER NAME–
MOTHER OF EXILES.
FROM HER BEACON-HAND GLOWS WORLDWIDE WELCOME;
HER MILD EYES COMMAND THE AIR-BRIDGED HARBOR
THAT TWIN CITIES FRAME. ‘ KEEP, ANCIENT LANDS,
YOUR STORIED POMP!’
CRIES SHE WITH SILENT LIPS, ‘GIVE ME YOUR TIRED,
YOUR POOR, YOUR HUDDLED MASSES YEARNING
TO BREATHE FREE. THE WRETCHED REFUSE OF YOUR
TEEMING SHORE’
SEND THESE, THE HOMELESS, TEMPEST-TOSSED, TO ME.
I LIFT MY LAMP BESIDE THE GOLDEN DOOR”.
Now compare Emma’s sonnet to the words of a more recent song, by a popular country music star in the wake of 9/11, 2001:
HEY, UNCLE SAM PUT YOU AT THE TOP OF HIS LIST,
AND THE STATUE OF LIBERTY STARTED SHAKING HER FIST.
AND THE EAGLE WILL FLY AND IT’S GONNA BE HELL,
WHEN YOU HEAR MOTHER FREEDOM START RINGING HER BELL.
AND IT’LL FEEL LIKE THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD IS RAINING DOWN ON YOU,
ALL BROUGHT TO YOU, COURTESY OF THE RED WHITE AND BLUE.
Of these two contrasting sentiments, which should typify the real character of our nation? Or, more to the point of our discussion, which of these attitudes should be representative of those who claim to be committed followers of Christ.
Is either of these expressions appropriate for our current real-life situation? How do we deal with a population that is becoming increasingly more multicultural and at the same time more religiously diverse?
Over these past years my walk of faith and ministry calling have taken me to places and into situations that have caused me to reassess my understanding of what God is doing in this world and how I should be involved. I have the impression that being called to be the presence of Christ is a call to adventure and living life on the edge but, that involves something other than things like sky-diving or bull-riding; desert biking or Arctic hiking. This calling includes surrendering myself to the risks of vulnerability.
During this reassessment process, which, by the way, is still on-going, I have come back time and time again to a basic idea that the really good news of the gospel is that each one of us and all of us should have full access to all that Jesus has to offer. In so far as I am able to comprehend it, what Jesus offers is grace and relationship based on nothing but love, without regard to national origin, religious heritage, economic status or any other societal classification. Yes! That includes people of other faiths from various places, who now live in our neighborhood and on our block.
It is difficult, however, for some of us to get our minds wrapped around this concept. Surely, there must something else; some qualifiers that make some people more deserving of God’s love and grace. And, the assumption is that some have a lot further to go than others in makings themselves acceptable to God. This is especially so when certain people have a cultural and religious heritage drastically different from that with which we are familiar, with those of Islamic faith being of particular concern. There is this compulsion to correct all the fallacies of their illegitimate religion before God’s love can be appropriated.
But for me, being the presence of Christ (Being Missional) means that we live life in such a way that the real message of the gospel is authenticated. By so doing, we help to draw people into a mutual, loving relationship with God and, in effect, saying, “You have a place of belonging. God’s love is longing to welcome you to a place you can call, home.” And that place is not bounded by geographical, religious, or cultural limits.
This does not mean that we have an immediate and definitive answer for every situation in any circumstance. Instead, it means that we are willing to walk alongside people on their journey of discovery, being sensitive to the serendipitous opportunities as they are presented.