Dear FCC family,
Very often i have been asked – where do you draw the line? Where we draw the line of welcome?
What if someone has done something wrong, how do we apply our values of welcome and inclusivity?
I believe that Jesus has shown us the way – our love and inclusion of people is based on our understanding of how radical and inclusive God’s love is. At the same time, being welcoming and loving people does not mean we agree, approve or support everything they do, or every behaviour of theirs. Too often we confuse the two – that loving someone means we need to agree with them, or when someone disagrees with us, we think they do not love us.
Too often communities cast out those who have done something wrong, or don’t fit in, because that’s how they do things. But at FCC, that’s not our understanding of who we are called to be – because we believe that everyone deserves a chance at redemption, mercy and most of all love – because we believe that everyone’s equal.
But at the same time, loving people doesn’t mean we don’t hold people accountable. Loving someone doesn’t mean we ignore their bad behaviours or the consequences of their actions, but rather be that space that loves them and supports them through repentance, transformation and making things right. Perhaps it is this kind of space that they may find the resources for healing – first healing themselves, and then healing the brokenness they may have caused.
May this be how we do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with God.
Shalom,
miak