The Church Reveals God's Colorful, Inclusive Wisdom

In the summer months between my sophomore and junior years of college, with much prayer and reflection, I decided that I was called to be a pastor. After that special moment, I almost immediately began planning my next steps by looking into seminaries, envisioning where I might eventually end up for my Master of Divinity studies. While each school I researched seemed to be an incredible option, it quickly became clear that I had a choice to make. Was I going to pick a school that seemed like it would be comfortable echo chamber of the thoughts and ideas I’ve already began to cultivate about theology and faith? Or was I going to pick a school that, at first glance, gave me a feeling that not everyone would be approaching topics the same way I was? I was at a crossroads.

Maybe it was partially because of the southern hospitality or the mild Texas winters, but I eventually chose to call Southern Methodist University’s Perkins School of Theology home for the next three years. My first semester at Perkins came as the divisions around the topics of human sexuality and LGBTQ+ affirmation in our denomination was reaching its boiling point. My peers and I were diverse in every way—gender, race, sexuality, age, ability, political beliefs, denominational affiliation, rural/urban settings, etc. So, as you can imagine, as varied were the opinions on this topic within our congregations and Annual Conferences, so was the same for this subject and many more within our passionate class discussions.

As I sat in classrooms learning from my professors, taking copious notes, joining in on the lively debates, and connecting with peers in the hallways between classes, I was amazed and grateful each time I remembered that every single one of us was there to spread the good news of the Gospel. We were each called to follow Christ and share his message of love with the world through a reflection of our differences, not in disregard of them.

Around the same period of time, I heard another pastor mention their love and appreciation that the church—the ecclesia, the assembly of God’s people—is one of the only places in the world where unity and connection can be a reality no matter how much polarization and division seeks to disband us everywhere else. At its best, the church is where people can come together to learn, grow, and serve God alongside one another, regardless of political affiliation, social beliefs, economic statuses, and all else that seeks to break us apart.

For the sake of our own personal comfort, familiarity, and self-assurance, we might be tempted judge others and turn our back on celebrating their variety of life experiences, perspectives, ideas, backgrounds, and imaginations that exist in the differences and diversities. When we do so, we risk missing out on God’s purpose and mission of the church. But when we embrace unity and connection with others, trusting that God has uniquely created and called each and every one of us? That’s when we see much a more beautiful, dynamic, full picture of God’s work in the world. Now that’s something you don’t want to miss.