THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

Once we have found a source of strength, purpose and meaning, it can be tempting to try and regulate who gets to share it. When we experience God’s life and presence in a certain way, it’s fairly easy to believe that everyone needs to connect with God the same way we did. The problem with this view is that we can turn ourselves into gatekeepers for God’s Reign, drawing lines between who is in and who is out. We may also miss the work of God when it comes to us in a new or unfamiliar way, or through an unexpected person.

It takes great humility and openness to accept that God meets us – and everyone else – where we are. God’s grace is extravagantly and shockingly flexible, and it extends to everyone, no matter who they are or what they have done. If this is not the case, then we’re not dealing with grace. The challenge, though, is that grace must always be received, and receiving God’s grace is directly related to how willing we are to see God’s grace at work in others – especially those we would naturally consider underserving. This is the problem with gatekeeping. It tries to close the door on others, and in doing so, it actually closes the door on us.

This week we seek to release our need to be gatekeepers, and open our hearts even more to this radical, all-encompassing grace of God.

To download this week’s reflections in PDF format, click here.