Life's Ins and Outs

Onlookers continue to buzz over who's in and who's out in the not-so- United States of America. Sweeping pardons leave some relieved and many concerned, on both sides, about our justice system and the role of presidential pardons. So now what?

The Trump family is IN at the White House and the Biden family is OUT, as of yesterday. Sweeping executive orders and actions yesterday by President Trump also informed our nation and world about what is IN, what is OUT, and who is IN or soon to be OUT. As I watched, I prayed, "Lord, have mercy."

It troubles me to see billionaire influencers given prominent seats, access and roles in the coming administration. However, wealth and power are not strangers to Washington, no matter the political party. And I take hope from the truth that on both sides are men and women of faith, competence, accountability and loyalty to more than a party or president.

But what about the rest of us? What's IN for us and what is OUT? Is hate in or out? What about fear? Is trust in God in or out? People who are different from us, are they in or out? And upon who or what do we base our choices?

Philip Yancey in Grace Notes challenged me with his January 5th entry concerning seeing God's Kingdom as Upside Down. Philip urged me to see the world as Jesus did. "Instead of seeking out people who stroke my ego, I find those whose egos need stroking; instead of important people with resources who can do me favors, I find people with few resources." Well, that's one way to consider who or what's IN or OUT?

However, Yancey continues with more ways the upside down world of Jesus challenges my thinking. "Instead of the strong, I look for the weak; instead of the healthy, the sick. Is not this how God reconciled the world to himself? Did Jesus not insist that he came for the sinners and not the righteous, for the sick and not the healthy?"

So now what? Well, the lyrics from a song in The Hunchback of Notre Dame nudges me to take a look at who are the OUTcasts in my life? Or, perhaps, in yours? Esmeralda, a gypsy, sings this prayer, God Help the Outcasts. She prays and wonders, like most of us, at one time or another, "I don't know if You can hear me, or if You're even there. I don't know if you would listen to a gypsy's prayer" But in a moment of seeing beyond asks, Yes, I know I'm just an outcast, I shouldn't speak to you. Still, I see your face and wonder, were you once an outcast, too?"

But Esmeralda prays on,"God help the outcasts hungry from birth, Show them the mercy they don't find on earth. God, help my people, we look to you still. God, help the outcasts or nobody will." And so I ask myself, "Who are my OUTcasts? Who is IN? Who is OUT?"

The answer to our disunity is not in uniformity nor conformity. It is to live a life of radical love. To reread First Corinthians 13 helps clarify who and what is IN or OUT. For starters, love, kindness, truth and hope are IN. Pride, hatred, jealousy and injustice are OUT.

So, these next few weeks will challenge us in words we speak and ways we interact with those with whom we disagree. It will be an important opportunity to practice the upside down ways of Jesus. To care about the OUTcasts. And hopefully, to be among those who are all IN on God's radical love.

If all else fails, there's comfort food. Like my sister-in-love just sent me this quote, "Just cleared out some space in the freezer. Sounds so much better than 'I just devoured another gallon of ice cream.' "

Well, I just had to add something to make you, at least, smile. Oh, Chris, also reminded me that chocolate is like duct tape. It can fix almost anything. And then there's this one, which bears repeating, " You know when you buy a bag of salad and it gets all brown and soggy? Cookies don't do that."

Chocolate, in or out? Cookies? How about ice cream?

Salad?

For sure, for me, prayer is IN!

So are you, unless you hit OUT, as in unsubscribe.

But I hope you won't. I need all the friends I can get.