Creating Access and Inclusion in Worship

EXPLORING THE WORD: EXEGETICAL ESSAY

Making ourselves vulnerable and honoring the vulnerability in others is at the heart of Christian faith. Spiritual writer Father Henri Nouwen warned that if we fail to place the weakest among us at the center of liturgy, we cease to become church. The problem is vulnerability is rarely welcome in our competitive culture. Messages from every quarter encourage us to be the best, the brightest, the greatest, the swiftest, the most powerful, the most beautiful, or the most intelligent.

In today’s readings, the Book of Wisdom warns of the wickedness of such competitiveness, and Saint James sees nothing but conflict resulting from such selfish ambition. Jesus, then, offers the final blow to our obsession with being first by advising us that if we want to be great, we have to be small?at least in terms of our egos. When the disciples argued about who among them was the greatest, Jesus placed a child in their midst?an irrelevant, powerless, non-person by the standards of the ancient world?and said, “Whoever receives one such as this receives me.”

It’s clear that the way to greatness in the eyes of the divine is to align ourselves with those who are humble, outcast, and marginalized. Not only does Jesus identify himself with such shockingly insignificant representatives, but he also insists that when his disciples receive such humble persons, God is revealed in their midst.

The last shall be first, and a child is the sign of the kingdom. Does any of this make sense? Not by worldly standards. But if we want to embrace the kingdom, we have to shake ourselves loose from the desire to climb, possess, be in charge, and be invulnerable. Vulnerability is the only requirement to enter the house of the Lord. Our meekness is all we need to be full and equal participants in the kingdom.

This an especially important lesson to keep in mind today, as we celebrate Inclusion Awareness Day. Our bodies, minds, or spirits may not be the strongest or nimblest of all, but we are no less welcome at God’s table. In God’s realm the more vulnerable we are, the sooner we are served. It is our role as Christians to help build the kingdom here and now by graciously serving and being served.

The church teaches that we are commissioned to see our neighbor—without exception—as “another self” and be mindful of what our neighbor needs to live with dignity. Look around you. Where do you see needs? Think about how we can accommodate these needs more effectively and compassionately. What is it like to live with physical and mental challenges? Find out. What would help others live with more dignity? Ask. What could others learn from my story? Share. What resentments do I hold toward others who are different from me? Forgive.

We are all in this life together. We are one body in Christ. We need each other. In fact, God wills it so, according to Saint Catherine of Siena. It is against God’s plan and against our best nature not to acknowledge our need for others and be charitable toward one another by distributing the graces and gifts we have each received. Do your best to share your gifts with others and make it possible for others to share their gifts with you. In this way none of us comes to the table empty-handed and none of us goes away hungry. We all share equally in the banquet of God’s love.