Pastor’s Corner – July 6, 2025
Who is In or Out? – Luke 10:1-11, 16-20
We have witnessed communities and families of immigrants ripped apart by ICE, no warrants or due process but with a quota to fill, specifically targeting and terrorizing people of color, and placing undocumented and legal residents as “criminals” in detention centers. While the “Big Beautiful Bill” was passed by Senate, taking away millions of people off of Medicaid and food away from poor children and giving the biggest tax break for the rich they don’t need, Trump was touring a newly built detention center in Florida called Alligator Alcatraz as a deterrent and to imprison five thousand people. What does all this say about who is in or out? What does this say about what it means to be an American? I’m a naturalized citizen with 25 million other Americans and I am told I could be deported and be stateless. We are legally vulnerable, therefore considered second class citizens. The message is clear! To be an American you have to be white, rich, Christian and a citizen from birth (though that’s under attack too) as well as loyal to Trump.
This coming Sunday we read a very different story than the horrific story we are hearing on the news today. Jesus sends out his disciples, seventy to be precise, to towns and villages, not looking to arrest or tear apart families but to bless them with the message of good news; of hope, healing, compassion and peace! And in our Epistles reading from Galatians 6, the early church was struggling with similar questions of who should be in or out from how they saw and defined the Jesus movement. The Jewish church community saw themselves as continuation of Jesus’ teaching. Jesus was a Jew, therefore the followers of the way or the movement of the early church should also practice circumcision. Paul’s response? No! It’s not about circumcision nor uncircumcision, you got it all wrong. It’s about a new creation in Christ Jesus! It’s about a new humanity where there is no such thing as who is in or out! It’s about the kingdom of God where the last becomes first and first becomes last. It’s where the world as we know it, the current dominant narrative is turned upside down! Where there is war and violent conflicts in the world, isn’t it all about who is in or out?
Come let us worship God together and ponder the scriptures and sing praise together. Let us create space to hold each other in prayer and pray for peace and justice. Amen.
Pastor Dae