God Makes No Distinction

Romans 10:8b-17 (NRSV)

"The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. The scripture says, "No one who believes in him will be put to shame." For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him. For, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."
 
But how are they to call on one in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him? And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" But not all have obeyed the good news; for Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our message?" So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.

Like all things political correctness has it's advantages and disadvantages.  On the one hand inclusive language and/or political correctness allows us some latitude to help us to respect peoples differences, yet make them included in the human family.  On the other hand political correctness only continues to put people into classifications rather than just see each person as a human being.  Because human beings are susceptible to preconceived notions about people who are not like ourselves we do need inclusive language to help us towards breaking down barriers.  Like any thing else even political correctness has the potential to be used to further alienate people from each other.  


Since the beginnings of humankind we have had the tendency to have one group of people dominate and oppress another.  Male vs female.  White vs black, red, tan etc.  Native born vs immigration status. Rich vs. poor.   Heterosexual vs. homosexual/bisexual/asexual/pansexual.  Single gender minded/transgender.   Healthy vs. unhealthy, physically, mentally, psychologically, developmentally challenged.   Speaking or writing in English vs other languages.  Christian vs Jewish, atheists, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, New Age, Wicca, Pagan, Agnostic, Unitarians/Universalists, etc.  The list can go on and on.  If we did not live in a place and time where there were no distinctions between the privileged and the non-privileged we would not need politically correct language.   Because we do have a problem with distinctions inclusive language is a necessity.  


I remember my Church History professor back at Eastern Nazarene once said: "Do we Christians see ourselves as created in God's image, or do we create God in our image?"   We can easily analyze for a short period that humankind has been playing a role in creating God in our image.  One very intelligent person pointed out to me that when we read the first 3 chapters of the Book of Genesis notice we are reading a narrative about God's existence before time began.   Yet, if we cling to that detail at face value, it disregards something very important.   If the only Being that existed before anyone else was God, who tells a narrative about God's existence?  The story of Creation according to The New Oxford Annotated Bible New Revised Standard Version contains a style that would have been recorded around 1500-1200 BCE).  If that is the case, we have a real problem with over 50,000 years of prehistoric data.  Bishop John Shelby Spong goes into quite a bit of detail of all of this in the third chapter of his book A New Christianity for a New World.

In the Letter to the Romans that is part of today's commemoration of Charles Simeon, Paul is telling us that "there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him. For, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." If there is no distinction as Paul is suggesting then why did Paul make some distinctions of his own in several of his letters?  Some of his writings about women are quite disturbing.  I do believe that we have to remember that all of the Biblical writers as well as those who have influenced the history of the Church were people who did and wrote great things, but they were all still very imperfect people.  The narratives about creation as well as the Gospels themselves are provided to us by people who were part of cultures, politics and had their own preconceived notions.  "The Bible is word of God through the words of human beings speaking in the idiom of their time" says Archbishop Desmond Tutu in For The Bible Tells Me So.  The Bible is not a perfect book.  It contains so many truths that we can meditate and grow from.   But not all truth is only found in the Bible.  

One of the truths that is proclaimed by Scripture is that God does not make distinctions.  All of us are children of God.  Every human person is a masterpiece of God's creation.  Our race, color, religion, ability/challenge, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, gender, language, employment status etc are not barriers for God's love to be exemplified in us.   Nor are they excuses for not heading the call of Jesus to Peter and us in today's Gospel to love God and feed God's people with compassion.     

John 21:15-17 (NRSV)

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my lambs." A second time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Tend my sheep." He said to him the third time, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, "Do you love me?" And he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep.

Jesus' conversation with Peter here is also an instruction to all of us.  We are called by Paul to recognize that God does not make distinctions and that all can be saved by God's grace.   Jesus is also calling all of us who say with Peter that we love Jesus, to commit ourselves to feeding God's people through the ministry of radical hospitality and reconciliation.  Humankind makes many distinctions which divide us.   Jesus is asking us if we love him and are we willing to look beyond our distinctions to promote justice, equality, peace and acceptance for all persons.  Humankind is starving from a lack of compassion.  Injustice, oppression, violence, hunger, poverty and discrimination are all around us.  The love of God in Jesus for all of humankind is such that there is no distinction.  But so much of humankind will never know that if those who believe in God are not willing to be voices and missionaries of inclusion and equal justice for all people.  

It is the same justice that Jesus won for all of us as he hung dying on the cross.  It is part of that new life that burst out of the tomb in the resurrection.  Our broken humanity with all of its potential to go beyond the limits of our labels and languages ascended to the right hand of God in Jesus.  God the Holy Spirit came among us to empower us spread her message of the love of God which makes no distinction to the ends of the earth.   These are the realities of what Christians believe.  It is our mission as the Church.  It is what humankind is waiting and yearning to see from the followers of Jesus Christ.

O God, whose blessed Son came into the world that he might destroy the works of the devil and make us children of God and heirs of eternal life: Grant that, having this hope, we may purify ourselves as he is pure; that, when he comes again with power and great glory, we may be made like him in his eternal and glorious kingdom; where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Proper 27, Book of Common Prayer, page 236).
 
O loving God, we know that all things are ordered by your unerring wisdom and unbounded love: Grant us in all things to see your hand; that, following the example and teaching of your servant Charles Simeon, we may walk with Christ in all simplicity, and serve you with a quiet and contented mind; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Collect for Charles Simeon, Holy Women, Holy Men, Celebrating the Saints, page 677).

O God, you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth, and sent your blessed Son to preach peace to those who are far off and to those who are near: Grant that people everywhere may seek after you and find you; bring the nations into your fold; pour out your Spirit upon all flesh, and hasten the coming of your kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.  (Prayer for Mission, Book of Common Prayer, page 100).


Grant, O God, that your holy and life-giving Spirit may so move every human heart, that barriers which divide us may crumble, suspicions disappear, and hatreds cease; that our divisions being healed, we may live in justice and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Prayer for Social Justice, Book of Common Prayer, page 823).

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