Not Like Us

This past Sunday was World Communion Sunday, the day when Chrisitans all around the world join in sharing the sacrament of Holy Communion. My sermon considered how we react to people who are "not like us," and how easy it is to discount -- and even villify -- them. Do you see yourself anywhere in my sermon?

I’m going to start my sermon this morning with something a little bit different – a word association quiz. Don’t worry – there aren’t any right or wrong answers. I just want you to pay attention to the image that flashes into your mind when I say a word. Ready?
The first word is “inventor.” What kind of person springs to mind when I say that word?
The next word is “musician.” Do all of you have an image in your mind?
The last word is “Christian.” That one should be easy.

Now, I’m going to hazard a guess that the image that came to mind when I said each word – for some of you, anyway – was that of a white, middle-class person who looks a lot like we do. When I said “inventor,” you probably thought of Thomas Edison or Alexander Graham Bell. But you might have pictured George Washington Carver, the African-American genius who found so many uses for the peanut. How about “musician”? Who came to your mind for that word? Was it Randy Travis or one of the Beatles? I wonder if anyone thought of Yo Yo Ma, the Asian-American cellist who makes his instrument sing like the angels themselves.  And “Christian.” Who did you think of for that? Did you picture somebody who looks pretty much like we all do here? I thought so.

The point that I’m trying to make is that when we talk about categories of people – categories like “inventor,” “musician,” or “Christian” – we tend to think of people who look, talk, and act just like we do; and we exclude those who don’t. The images of white, middle-class people just spring into our minds automatically, even though we all know perfectly well that there are lots of people around the world who aren’t like us. It is human nature to divide people into those who are “like us” and those who are “not like us.” But when we divide people into “like us” and “not like us,” it’s only a small step to believing that “not like us” means “not as good as us.” That kind of thinking puts us on a pedestal where we don’t belong – and it doesn’t give other people the credit that they deserve.

“Not like us” can take many disguises. Sometimes, “not like us” is obvious – a different skin color, a different language, or different customs. But other times, “not like us” is sneakier. “Not like us” can be people who speak with a different accent, who belong to a different Christian denomination, or who worship differently than we do. “Not like us” can be people use praise bands to lead worship, and sit on folding chairs in gymnasiums instead of in church pews. Why, some of those “not like us” people even worship on Saturday night!

Can you see how “not like us” can drive a wedge between us and people who are our brothers and sisters? We start to get suspicious of people who are “not like us.” We wonder: why do they do things differently than we do? Are they hiding something? Are they really good people after all? If we’re not careful, we end up tumbling down a slippery slope, and we might end up all the way at the bottom thinking that the people who are “not like us” are absolute good-for-nothings with no good features whatsoever!

Even Jesus’ disciples fell into this kind of trap. The gospel of Mark tells us that one day, they came running to Jesus with a story about someone who was casting out demons in Jesus’ name. The trouble was, he wasn’t an official disciple. He hadn’t been with Jesus and the twelve as they journeyed through Galilee. He hadn’t sat at Jesus’ feet as to hear his teachings. Why, he probably didn’t even know the words to the Lord’s Prayer! And so, the Twelve had told him to stop – stop casting out demons! Stop liberating unfortunate people from the grip of madness. Stop restoring their minds to sanity. Stop giving them a chance to live normal lives again. After all – he wasn’t one of them! Can’t you just see Jesus shaking his head in despair? The disciples didn’t get the praise that they expected. Oh, no, quite the contrary. “Don’t stop him!” Jesus said. “If you’re not against us, you’re for us!” He could have added, “If anyone is doing the works that I do, then that person is one of my followers, even if he is ‘not like us.’”

I’m guessing that the disciples were confused. After all, we spend lots of time talking about how other people are different from us, and not all that much time talking about how they are the same. We still do that today. But this morning is different. This morning is the one day in the Christian year that we agree to focus on how we are alike instead of on how we are different. This morning, instead of concentrating on how other Christians are “not like us,” we focus on how Christians around the world are “like us” as we all join in the Sacrament of Holy Communion. This morning, Christians of all nationalities are remembering the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made on our behalf. They are celebrating the Bread of Life that we share here – the Bread that consoles us, supports us, and nourishes us. And they are looking forward to the great banquet at the end of time, when all of us will sit down at God’s table in glory, and all our differences won’t matter any more.

Oh, the practices of those other Christians may be very different from ours. They may be sharing rye bread, pita bread, or rice cakes. They may be drinking wine, grape juice, or even milk. They may be distributing the elements on plates and in little cups as they sit in church pews; or they may be eating from a common loaf and drinking from a common cup as they kneel at the altar. But all of them are praising the same God, following the same Christ, and filled with the same Spirit. And even though many of them are “not like us,” we are all living our lives for Jesus Christ.

“Not like us”? Actually, they are just like us! We are all sinners in need of forgiveness, lost sheep in need of salvation, wretches in need of God’s amazing grace – the grace that we find right here at the table of Jesus Christ. So, everyone, come to the table! Come, take your place amidst people of all languages, cultures, and customs. Come, because we are all God’s people who have found salvation through the grace of Jesus Christ. Come, and join with our brothers and sisters around the world. Come – and, with them, be thankful.