I don’t like gates, enclosures, pens, fences, and walls. The feeling of being restricted bothers me. It bothers me even more when others appear to be stuck, confined, or fenced in. I want to be free to live the life God intended, and I encourage others to find that freedom as well.
In our world, gatekeepers are used to restrict some and admit others, oftentimes based on prejudices and fear. In the United States, before the civil rights movement led to great change and progress, white people were allowed to use the front door of establishments, but Black people had to enter through the back.
Our Lord comes to release us from bondage, to liberate, to heal the blind. In John 10:7, Jesus says, “I am the gate!” The gatekeeper! We have a gatekeeper in Jesus – but one who, as usual, is counter-cultural.
Jesus’ enclosure is the sweet enclosure of the Trinity. That’s an enclosure I want to be in – an enclosure of love and togetherness that invites all.
This message is excerpted from “I Don’t Like Fences” by Adrainne Gray in the May 2018 Gather magazine. Today is the Third Sunday after Epiphany.
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