By April Terry (personal blog http://faithwarming.blogspot.com)

Grandpa was in the dining room surfing the net, my nephew and son were upstairs in video game land, and my husband and I were sitting in our recliners watching TV Sunday evening when the power went out.  Suddenly, although it was still light, a silence filled our household and we were forced to find an activity that wasn’t powered by electricity.  Even the recliners on our new couch were powered by electricity and so we had to help each other out of them because we couldn’t bring them back down.  Now, because of a hiccup in the “force,” we had to sit around and talk to each other or find some other way to amuse ourselves.   Every once in a while it takes something like a power failure to realize what a different world we live in.  We don’t really have to survive the elements or live off the land.  We don’t have to struggle for survival or wonder if it will be too cold tonight.   We are the fortunate, the blessed, the elect.

In Christianity, our sense of being the “elect” is often one of the things that people are deeply offended by.  It makes others feel as though they are on the outside looking in or as if we, the elect, feel that there is something missing in them.  The ironic thing about that is, that we are only “elect” because of God and not by anything that any of us do, yet we turn our critical eyes on everyone else.  I am reminded of when the disciples argued about who would be the greatest.  Jesus’ response would be that the greatest would be a servant.  We Christians don’t always intentionally point fingers.  We use phrases like “the lost” or “outsiders” to describe those who aren’t in our faith and we use terminology that is all our own.  Anyone who has ever been an outsider of any kind knows that this kind of starting point is more of an ending point. 

So, how do we change our dialogue to be the language of inclusive rather than the exclusive?  We start by telling our stories and listening to the stories of others.  Everyone has a story to tell about their lives and their experiences and a Christian’s story is lined with his beliefs and his ideologies, but if we are incapable of hearing stories that are lined with other beliefs and ideologies, then we are being exclusive.

We also try to be considerate.  Applying the Bible to someone who doesn’t believe like we do is pointless and hopeless.  It doesn’t bring anyone to a faith in Jesus Christ.  I am a firm believer that faith in Christ comes from Christ.  We may plant some seeds, but God cultivates and God calls people to Himself and He does it in some very interesting and amazing ways.

Those who aren’t Christian think that we cast judgments on people.  I never thought that this was only a Christian trait, but it isn’t particularly gracious or loving when done by members of the faith.  For a group of people who are supposed to be examples of love and grace in this world, it doesn’t do us any favors to make judgments.   Accepting people on the basis of who they are rather than who we want them to be is an act of mercy.

The Jesus who taught that “blessed are the peacemakers” and “blessed are the merciful,” also taught that the first would be last and the last would be first.  That means that we have to give up the power.  We should always remember that when we start thinking that we are the elect.   We should treat everyone as if they are the elect for they may well be.  We should pour our Grace out among others until people are so convinced by our love that our faith becomes a like a flashlight during a power outage, but should we get too full of ourselves and start thinking that we are the essence of light itself, we need to remember that we don’t shine until we’re plugged in and God is the electricity.