By Beth Carroll, Associate Pastor of Discipleship
Though it was 1992, I still remember an important lesson I learned in my Hope College Resident Assistant training. It was the first time the concept of “inclusion” had been taught to me, and I learned that representation matters. Whether it’s a play, homecoming sign, textbook, college brochure, or anywhere else where pictures of people are present, we notice if our likeness is not included. In fact, one of the complicated parts of representation is that the more you include diversity, the more stark it becomes who is missing. Diversity is vast. We tend to start with racial diversity, but we must also include the gender spectrum, sexual orientations, differing abilities, ages, and more. That is a lot to fit on a college brochure! When you think of it, being prompted to ask who is missing is important. Jesus was always thinking about outsiders. The Good Shepherd said in John 10:16, “I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.”
You might be aware that seminarian intern Elliot Weidenaar and I started “Bible Pride,” a Bible study for LGBTQ youth and their allies. This is a place where the theological and experiential lens of LGBTQ folks is prioritized. Sadly, in our greater world, certain marginalized voices have been omitted because their perspectives are labeled sinful, especially in the case of LGBTQ and female-identifying voices. This is an affront to the work of the Holy Spirit. Denying someone’s voice as a commentator or engager of scripture is abusive to the person being marginalized and even damaging to us, because we miss out on their gifts. Recently at High Hopes we talked about how reading the Bible in community is so important. None of us have truth all on our own; we individuals each have a slice of it. Therefore, the more people coming together and studying the Bible, the more slices we have of the pizza of understanding. The writer of 1 Timothy says in 4:13, 14, “Let no one despise your youth, but set the believers an example in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. Until I arrive, give attention to the public reading of scripture, to exhorting, to teaching.” The fruit of the Holy Spirit is manifested through the diverse body of believers.
As we pastors have been talking about justice more, especially from the pulpit, several of you have been great about reminding us about who or even what we are accidentally excluding. A focus on racial and LGBTQ justice is critical, but so is justice engaging age discrimination, ableism, environmental justice, and more. Thank you for caring so much about who is at the table and let us continue the good work of exhorting, teaching, and loving the fullness of creation and all who inhabit it.
~Peace, Pastor Beth