How we love excluding people.
Everywhere I go I see signs that politely, firmly, and sometimes proudly keep people out.
“For Members Only.”
“Residents Only.”
“Parking for Office Bearers.”
“Private Function.”
And the more exclusive the place, the bigger the smile on the face of the person who belongs inside.
Human beings seem to enjoy creating circles and then making sure somebody else remains outside them.
A club becomes prestigious only when somebody is refused entry.
A building society becomes important only when tenants are made to feel slightly inferior to owners.
A school becomes elite only when ordinary people cannot afford it.
And somewhere deep within us is that strange little feeling that whispers, “I belong and you do not.”
The other day I attended a church service. It was peaceful and beautiful. Hymns were sung softly. Heads were bowed in prayer. Then came the announcement for Holy Communion.
The priest gently explained that only members of that denomination could partake of the bread and wine.
I suddenly felt sad.
Jesus died on the cross for the whole world.
Not for one denomination.
Not for one church group.
Not for one language.
Not for one caste or community.
The message of Christ was astonishingly inclusive. Fishermen, tax collectors, prostitutes, Roman officers, rich, poor, Jew, Gentile, saint and sinner all found a place near Him.
Even on the cross He prayed forgiveness for those who crucified Him.
And yet two thousand years later, we who follow Him still put up invisible signboards.
“Only for us.”
I do believe that anyone who believes that Jesus died for them, and they have salvation through His death and resurrection should be included!
But before Christians become too uncomfortable reading this, let me quickly add that every faith has mastered the art of exclusion beautifully.
Some exclude women.
Some exclude people from another caste.
Some exclude outsiders from entering sacred places.
Some exclude those who eat differently, dress differently, pray differently or simply think differently.
Human beings seem unable to resist the temptation of creating spiritual VIP sections.
And perhaps God watches all this with deep sadness.
Because heaven, if you read scripture carefully, appears far more welcoming than earth.
Imagine standing at heaven’s gate one day and seeing a board there.
“Only for those who did not exclude.”
What shock there would be.
People who proudly guarded gates on earth may suddenly discover themselves standing outside one.
Perhaps God never intended religion to become a fenced property with warning signs all around it.
Perhaps He wanted it to become a table with extra chairs.
And maybe true spirituality is not about deciding who should be kept out, but about asking who else can still be invited in.
Because every time we exclude somebody, we quietly move one step away from the heart of God.
And truly, every time we include somebody, we move one step closer to heaven…!
bobsbanter@gmail.com
