Four Letter Words

1 September 2021

Dear Friend in Faith,

What four-letter words pop into your head?

A few naughty ones? Or ones that bring a smile? F-o-o-d? G-o-l-f? B-e-er? W-i-n-e? H-u-g-s? One of you pointed out with a smile that some Michiganders might think O-h-i-o is a four-letter dirty word.

After Sunday’s sermon, several of you shared that you’re accepting a challenge: considering which four-letter word Jesus prefers if the choice is between ONLY or ALSO. The Jesus movement is a history of discerning these kinds of decisions.

Accept Jews only or Gentiles also?
Recognize Catholics only or Protestants also?
Welcome straight people only or LGBTQ also?
Include married people only or divorced also?
Make a place for folks with the same-colored skin as mine only or other hues also?
Give authority to men only or women also?
Accept traditional families only or non-traditional families also?
Prioritize Christians who vote like me or others also?

Oftentimes, Jesus-followers remember that our Lord modeled an “also” attitude. Prostitutes and Pharisees also. High society and red necks also. Insiders and outsiders also.

Our challenge is that when humans face high stress, (such as we do today from the pandemic, natural disasters, and political strife) we are more likely to shift toward an “only” mode of operation. Why? Because it takes more energy, time, and patience to foster a life approach which honors others different from us, however we define that difference. So, we’re more prone to mentally banish certain problematic people “outside our fence,” to feature another sermon illustration.

Let me offer a few questions for your reflection:

On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being very high, what is your stress level these days? How has your stress brought you closer to some people in some cases? How has stress created greater distance or animosity with others?
Is there a time when you felt you were not included on somebody’s “also list,” or were “outside their fence”? Can you remember anyone standing up for you and trying to include you?
We are close to the 20th anniversary of 9-11. The terrorists clearly saw Americans “outside the fence” to justify their violence. Hitler labeled Jews “outside the fence” to justify the Holocaust. Do you think that when we put people “outside the fence,” we end up de-humanizing them?
EGR people stands for “extra grace required” people. Who is an EGR person in your life? How might God help you deal with these folks without distancing them “outside your fence”?
As a fence-mover, Jesus radically challenges his followers to pray for our enemies and bless those who persecute us (Matthew 5.44). In your mind right now, picture one of your enemies, or one of your persecutors. Can you, right now, activate Jesus’ command to pray for them? If so, pray now. . . . (in your own words).

Let us pray:

Dear God, we’re so grateful Jesus gave his life to ensure that we’re on your ALSO list, that we are included INSIDE your fences of joy and life. In today’s world of high stress, give us patience to resist the temptation to put up fences between other people and follow Jesus’ example to build bridges as best we can. In Jesus’ name, Amen.