God bless the misfits and the outcasts

In recent weeks, a new friend asked us to pray for him. Of course we said we would. And we did. Then in a conversation a few days later he asked again, but with more urgency. This subsequent conversation proved more revealing as he shared his feelings of rejection and loneliness.

My heart really went out to him. No one wants to feel like a misfit or an outcast; these feelings conflict with our created purpose. God created us for relationships and when we feel like we don't fit in (misfit) or we've been rejected (outcast) it cuts to the heart of who we are and our deep need to belong.

So what's a body to do? How can we the convince the misfit or outcast they can belong - they do belong within the family of God? Certainly Jesus invited the misfit and the outcast to his family. But how did he make them feel welcomed?

Well, I recall that he healed the lepers (and commended the foreigner who returned to give thanks); he shared a lively and deeply theological conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well (who then evangelized her neighbors and brought them to him); he publicly defended the woman who anointed his feet with oil (whose tale would be told whenever the gospel is preached); he rebuked the disciples in order to bless the children (and certainly gladdened the hearts of all their parents); and he endeared himself to a tax collector (who repented of his cheating ways and promised to make restitution).

How did Jesus make the misfit and the outcast feel like they belonged? By embracing the foreigner, respecting the rejected one, defending the courageous, showing compassion to the tiny ones, and befriending the despised. 

In other words, he loved them as his own. 

Because they were. 

Even if they didn't know it yet.

Because our encounter with our new friend had me thinking a lot this week about how we could best pray for him and cultivate this friendship, I wrote this prayer:

Lord Jesus, we pray for all the misfits and outcasts in the world to find refuge in the family of God. Draw them by your Spirit so that they may recognize and embrace your merciful love. And because so many of us have felt like misfits and outcasts, may we treat everyone we meet with kindness and respect so that they may discover their self-worth through the knowledge of being created in your image. Amen. (WMB 2015)

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As you can see, because of you, we have the privilege of meeting and befriending some truly beautiful people. Thank you again for your faithful prayers and support. Your partnership in the gospel makes this all possible.

Fall Newsletter 2015 Printable PDF