Over the next few months, members of the Reconciling in Christ (RIC) Task Force and others throughout the Northern Illinois Synod will share faith stories that highlight the importance of the RIC process.
Have you ever been in a place where you weren’t quite sure if you were welcome?
It can be an unsettling feeling. You feel on guard as if everyone is watching you. You aren’t quite sure if you shared your whole authentic self that you would be accepted in the same way. This can happen in any number of communities, from school to your job to a family gathering.
Sometimes this feeling of uncertainty comes because the community you are a part of might say one thing to your face but talk behind your back.
For many people, the church is a place where they aren’t quite sure if they are welcome. Churches proclaim love and acceptance, but oftentimes, that acceptance comes with a set of strings. These strings come from our human-created barriers of division among ourselves. We are so good at creating in groups and out groups.
However, God calls us to go beyond this way of thinking. Over and over again, Jesus calls us to break these walls of division we create amongst ourselves. Jesus asks, do you love me? If so, feed my sheep.
Who are the sheep in our community who need to be told that their most true selves are welcome and celebrated in our community? How do we share the radical welcome of Jesus with others?
On occasion, I have been asked why RIC. As Christians, we say that we love everyone. Shouldn’t that be enough?
The LGBTQIA+ community has often been told by the church that they are not allowed to be their true authentic selves. For many in this community, they are told that while they are loved, they need to change and conform to the in group. It is hard for them to believe that they are truly welcome and safe in our community.
Being RIC is an outward symbol of our Christian love. It is a way to say we welcome You specifically. We welcome the whole you. We welcome the vulnerable parts of you. We celebrate the things that make you a child of God created in their image. We want you to be a part of our church community and for you to participate fully in the life of our church.
