The Challenge of Inclusion - February 12

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 25; PM Psalm 9, 15; Prov. 27:1-6,10-12; Phil. 2:1-13; John 18:15-18,25-27

In my years in youth ministry, there were a few, more than difficult young people who would come through the program.  Sometimes they would make everyone else feel uncomfortable, maybe even run people off from the group.  It was especially difficult, but our staff and volunteers worked hard to include those young people, who wore so visibly their pain and brokenness.

Now it’s obvious what the right answer for who we should include in your youth program. I hope most youth programs would do the right thing and be a welcoming and inclusive space for the kids on the margins of their communities who struggled to fit in, and sometimes because of their own behavior. And we knew there was a cost.  Some kids would be less involved, and sometimes it made everyone uncomfortable.  Sometimes, we wanted to be like Peter who denied Jesus.  Sometimes youth did.  Maybe if I am honest, on my bad days, I wasn’t as welcoming as I could have been, exhausted and challenged by the hard work of inclusion.  And sometimes, it worked and the kingdom of God was revealed.

Inclusion can be difficult, but it’s a whole lot easier when everyone commits to the ethic.  I don’t blame middle and high school students who were struggling with their own identity, finding it challenging to include others.  My guess is that there was a fear from some young people of full inclusion of the more difficult or odd kids, maybe because it might confirm all of their own doubts and insecurities about their own self-worth.  On their best days, they did a pretty good job, when we were able to support them or model inclusion. 

Peter’s failure to acknowledge being in a relationship with Jesus also stems from fear.  Will he be arrested too?  Will Peter lose friends if he publicly acknowledges knowing Jesus?  Will his own insecurities about the person he is be affirmed? 

Inclusion can be a community ethic.  We often know what the right thing to do is, and it helps when we remind each other and support each other. I wonder if Peter’s answer would have been different if the other disciples were there to support him.  I hope so and know that I’m grateful to be in a community filled with disciples to help you and me make better choices.

Faithfully,

John+

Questions for Self-Reflection:  What is a decision you regret because you didn’t have courage or confidence? Who are the people who help you to make better decisions?