Recently, this gentleman has been very focused on Christ's return. While talking with him he will interrupt, no matter what the topic is, and ask questions like "Do you think Christ is ever going to come back?" "When?" "Where?" "Will we recognize him?" and "Do you think that I am Christ incarnate?" As strange and abrupt as these questions may be, they have been an incredible and difficult reminder that "whatever we do for the least of these, you do for me" (Matthew 25:45). This is a biblical theme that I focus on a lot and yet I have forgotten again. Thankfully, due to the strange conversation topics that this gentleman presents, I have been reminded, yet again, that I need to identify Christ in all people. The Gospel reading this Sunday at church was very fitting for this situation. We read about the disciples arguing about who is greater. Jesus sits them down to say "whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all." Then Jesus takes up a child and shares that "Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me." The pastor went on to share that the Gospel reading reminds us that we are all worthy of God's love, When we welcome those who society recognizes as lonely we are welcoming Jesus' presence. When we are able to recognize Christ in others we will be able to stop seeking status and begin God's hospitality. The opening hymn also helped to get this point across. We sang the song All Are Welcome. I needed to hear this song and the third verse (I think) seemed to relate perfectly to our current situation.
Let us build a house where hands will reach beyond the wood and stone to heal and strengthen, serve and teach and live the word they've known. Here the outcasts and the stranger bear the image of God's face...All are welcome.So, how do we welcome all? How can we reach out to help this man and other outcasts? What does God's hospitality truly look like? Will we ever be able to identify that this man's face truly bears the image of Christ?