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The gospel of the outsider
Fr Chris Thomas from the Emmaus Family of Prayer reflects on those who live on the edge of society and asks us how inclusive we are in our understanding of the gospel.
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When I reflect on those people who were obviously on the edge of society, I've realised that they are just the tip of the iceberg. There are so many who find themselves on the edges. People who have learning difficulties or physical difficulties often feel excluded from the mainstream. People who have mental health problems often talk of being on the fringes. Those who don't have any economic power, the elderly, the sick, the infirm are treated as almost worthless and yet in the eyes of God, the only eyes that matter, all are of value, all have worth. "The Gospel of the outsider" Gustav Gutierrez calls Luke's Gospel 'the Gospel of the outsider', because Luke has a bias for the poor and the little ones, those for whom society has little value, Lepers, Samaritans, women, tax collectors all play a part in Luke's Gospel. Luke turns the social order upside down and always has Jesus sitting down to share food with those who are on the edges. It's the most scandalising piece of writing because it says that all are of value and all are welcome. No-one is left out in Luke's Gospel. Each of the evangelists has his own particular thrust when writing his Gospel. Luke is the evangelist who, in his writing, reflects most on the action of the Spirit. If Luke is reflecting on the action of the Spirit it's somehow in the whole area of acceptance and inclusion and understanding that Luke sees the Spirit at work. That's challenging because it means that the Spirit is prompting us to look at attitudes within. What is it within me that makes me exclusive rather than inclusive? What is it within me that makes me walk past those in need? What is it in me that makes me self-righteous and arrogant? What is it within me that reacts to the asylum seeker and the refugee, to the street people? As a Church where should we be? I often wonder where Jesus would be found if he was physically amongst us. I guess it would be with the young people who roam our estates, with the alcoholics and the street people, with those who are excluded for whatever reason. As Church, the body of Christ, where should we be? I have a sneaking suspicion that the Spirit is prompting us to be in the midst of those in need, standing up for the little ones. If we are alive in the Spirit, aware of that Spirit's prompting we are to live in the same way that Jesus lived, to walk the same paths bringing healing and peace and forgiveness into the lives of those who are desperate. Let the Spirit challenge you to become like Jesus. Let the Spirit you have been given transform your attitudes and hardheartedness so that you become a vessel of "Good news" for those who for whatever reason are the little ones living on the edges.
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I
often think of the time I spent working with people who through no real
fault of their own had found themselves living on the streets or in
very poor bed and breakfast accommodation, people like Patrick who wore
a huge sheriff's hat and badge and carried everything he owned in his
pockets. He was usually drunk but always polite. Then there was kind,
generous, laughing Pam who would give you the shirt off her back if
she could and who was eventually murdered because of her addiction.
Billy looked after his mother until she died and then slipped into alcoholism
and eventually on to the streets. Russell was a heroin addict with a
sparkle in his eye and a smile always hovering around his mouth who
always hoped there would be more. All of those people and many like
them found themselves kept out of the mainstream by addictions and unacceptable
behaviour.