taking people in

A few weeks ago Richard Rohr wrote a post titled, "We create exclusion or belonging."

Think of the power that you and I have.  

Exclusion means...

• turning your back on another
• leaving them out
• treating them like a number instead of a person
• taking no interest in a person
• rejecting them, shunning them

Exclusion happens when we

• put ourselves first
• don't see others as valuable
• get too busy in life.
• settle for a shallow Christianity

Belonging occurs when

• we bring another chair to the table
• when we scoot over and make room for others
• when we learn another person's name
• when we take the time to visit with and care about others
• when we remember their name the next time we see them
• when we value their opinions and thoughts

In your life are you excluding people or taking people in?  What did Jesus do?  The lovely thing about helping people belong is that it is a new skill that we can learn very quickly, and we can start today.  What did Jesus do?

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.