Let's talk about Radical Welcome, errr, I would rather talk about "Radical Identity!"
I'm going to get into trouble, I just know it!
I think I want to talk about "Radical Identity," by which I mean that I identify not with any earthly or human ideology or scheme, but I identify with Jesus Christ. Identifying with Jesus Christ is a radical endeavor in our society these days. To identity with Jesus one has to die to self, to one's sense of fairness, to one's sense of justice, to one's sense of affirmation. To identify with Jesus one has to give up everything. (Of course, in giving up ourselves, we find ourselves. Don't you love oxymoronic notions of things!)
It isn't very politically-correct to identify with Jesus considering how terribly exclusive Jesus is when he says things like, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me." or, when Jesus wouldn't allow the rich-young-ruler to follow him on the rich-young-ruler's own terms. Jesus just let him walk away - he must have felt very rejected. Jesus and his community completely missed out on this rich-young-ruler's gifts and talents and voice, let alone all that money!
So, while others may want to identify with this or that new and improved "radical scheme," I'll be a recalcitrant who-knows-what and just stick with radically identifying with Jesus, as much as is possible with me and with God's help.
