But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. [John 10:2-3 (ESV)]
Brent Askari’s play, The Refugees, begins with an unusual premise. Because of a violent civil war in the United States, an upscale American family become refugees in a Middle Eastern country. When the family’s Arab social worker referred to the American refugees as “you people,” the once suburban housewife’s expression spoke volumes. In her previous Connecticut life, anyone who wasn’t white and upper middle class had been “those people” but the tables have turned and the roles reversed. Instead of being the ones with the money and advantages, her family and others like them are “those people:” a minority, seeking asylum in a new country, unfamiliar with the customs, and unable to read, write, or speak the language. Wearing clothes they once would have sent to Goodwill, they need government assistance to survive. Her once high-priced lawyer husband is now a stock boy whose boss takes advantage of his immigrant status. This family and other American refugees are as unwelcome in the unnamed Arab country as are the refugees at our border.
“Those people” is a term frequently used to draw a distinction between people like ourselves and others. Whether that difference is color, nationality, disability, sexual preference, ethnicity, sex, religion, age, politics, or social standing, that phrase usually indicates some kind of bias or discrimination, be it racism, ageism, sexism, anti-Semitism, chauvinism, xenophobia, homophobia, or some other phobia or ism. When saying “those people” or “you people,” the speaker usually is ascribing a particular quality (usually negative) to an entire group. “Those people” and “you people” doesn’t see individual faces and stories; it sees stereotypes and generalizations.
In Jesus’ day, “those people” in Palestine were beggars, lepers, tax collectors, prostitutes, the unclean, Gentiles, and Samaritans. Even Galileans, like Jesus, were “those people” to Judeans! With a reputation as trouble makers, they were disdained because of their mixed ancestry and considered uneducated because of their accent. Being one of “those people,” Jesus knew ethnic prejudice first hand.
For Jesus, however, there were no “those people.” Rather than a Samaritan woman of questionable morals, He saw a woman thirsty for His living water. Rather than a pagan Syrophoenician woman, He saw a loving mother with faith in Him. Rather than a noisy blind beggar or unclean lepers, Jesus heard people begging for God’s mercy and, instead of a collaborating publican, He saw a man desperate enough to climb a tree just to see Him. The Pharisees only saw a sinful woman, but Jesus saw a woman in need of forgiveness who showed her love for Him with her tears. Jesus didn’t see a self-righteous legalistic Pharisee when Nicodemus visited in the dead of night; He saw a man in search of the truth.
In fact, Jesus knowingly sought out “those people.” He deliberately went through Samaria when most Jews avoided it like the plague and He is the one who defied convention and started the conversation with the woman at the well. He’d gone deep into a pagan territory with a long history of opposition to Israel when He encountered the Syrophoenician woman. He openly dined with Matthew, his publican friends, and other sinners and Jesus is the one who invited Himself to dinner at the home of Zacchaeus. The Lord sailed clear across the Sea of Galilee to the Gentile region of the Gadarenes just to heal the demon-possessed! We may not know all the names of those touched by Jesus, but He did! As the Good Shepherd, He knew their names.
There were no “those people” to the Lord—every one of them was one of God’s children. It shouldn’t take becoming one of “you people” to make us understand that “those people” are people just like us—people in need of God’s love.
Spiritual gifts build God’s Kingdom in a variety of ways including teaching, outreach, speaking, counseling, discipleship, serving, practical assistance, visitation, and prayer. Our gifts were given for the common good of Christ’s church and we need one another’s gifts for the body of Christ to function. Within the church, some gifts, like shepherding, evangelism, or leadership, are easily noticed while others, such as mercy, giving, intercession, and faith may be less obvious. While those gifted in service (the ability to see undone tasks in God’s work and get them done) often work behind the scene, the people gifted in hospitality (the ability to warmly welcome all people into home or church) are front and center Sunday mornings as they greet people by name and extend the hand of friendship to visitors.
Jesus promised the disciples, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth.” [John 14:16-17] In fulfillment of that promise, the moment we accept Christ as our Savior, the Holy Spirit moves into our hearts. When He arrives, He helps us but, rather than making the bed or washing dishes, the Spirit comforts, counsels, and convicts us. He gives us the power to share His word, the strength to do His work, and confidence in the fullness of God’s promises.
A century of dike-building, agricultural development, and population growth has destroyed much of Florida’s wetlands and threatened the survival of dozens of animals like Florida panthers, Snail Kites, and Wood Storks. The White Ibis, however, is an exception. Having adapted to the new urban landscape, large groups of ibis happily graze the lawns of subdivisions, parks, and golf courses. They’ve found it easier to poke at the soil for a predictable buffet of grubs, earthworms, and insects than to forage in the remaining wetlands for aquatic prey like small fish, frogs, and crayfish. Once wary of humans, these urbanized ibis pay little or no attention to people as they follow one another across our lawns.
In the first Advent, Jesus came as a suffering servant in a manger. In His second Advent, Jesus will return in righteousness as the conquering King who makes all things right. His return means the final destruction of sin, injustice, hate, disease, death, decay and evil. Our God, however, is one of both mercy and judgement and Malachi’s promise of the Messiah included a warning about the coming day of judgment.
