When we look at the mix of individuals Jesus chose as His followers, we gain an insight into the reality that the way of Jesus was a bit perplexing to many, especially to the “religious elite” of the day. His followers were ordinary people, who saw something in this Jesus that was compelling enough they left their way of life and their family to follow Him.

They were very much imperfect in so many ways, but Jesus chose them, fully knowing they would even betray Him. And He chose to spend his time with outcasts and sinners. The very foundation of the church Jesus created was built with these seemingly unlikely individuals. He didn’t choose the Pharisees and Sadducees to gather as His followers.

His words and actions pointed to a way of living focused on loving God and loving our neighbors, and he made it clear those “neighbors” include people who any self-respecting Jew would rather not love or even speak to.

And Jesus made it very clear that it is not our place to be the judges, and yet we still do that. Jesus offered mercy, hope, love, and forgiveness. He turned the tables (quite literally) on a practice of “religion” that was missing the point entirely.

He included those who were excluded, and transformed the world with this mixed group of broken sinners. And with these people He built His church on this one foundation, the recognition of who He is, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

So here, even today, we find ourselves in good company, an imperfect people seeking to follow Christ, and in following Him, we disagree, we are confused, we miss the point, we want to exclude people who are different from us, we get distracted easily, we lose sight of what’s important, we hurt people, we fail in loving our neighbors, we fail to show mercy, and so much more.

This church built with people who are imperfect shows just how much Jesus values every person. Lord help us for the ways we have hurt one another. Lord help us to see your inclusive love that knows no boundaries.

The church of Jesus Christ has no walls.

During April 29th morning worship at General Conference, Mountain Sky Area Bishop Karen Oliveto, called on attendees to make God’s love visible in all they do and to embody the fullness of God’s love with justice and mercy.

“Jesus makes it plain that we are to receive one another, treat one another, serve one another, love one another as if we are serving him,” Oliveto said. “We need to see Imago Dei, the image of God, in each person — not just in the people who look like us, who talk like us, who think like us, who love like us, who believe like us. There are no excuses for us anymore.”

“Every single one of us has someone we don’t see,” she said. “Jesus doesn’t allow our voluntary ignorances and/or our hardness of heart to give us a pass on loving our neighbor. Every neighbor. Especially the ones we would rather overlook.”

“We can’t be the church if we choose to overlook some members of the body of Christ. If we define who we are by who we are leaving out, it begs the question, ‘Have we ever let Christ in?’”

Parts of her message were very reminiscent with my earlier post He Saw Zacchaeus.