“On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. The glory and honour of the nations will be brought into it.” - Revelation 21:25-26
In Revelation 21:25-25, John describes the new Jerusalem - the City of God - as a place where the gates of the city no longer need to be shut: A place where people can safely travel in and out of the city walls through open gates of inclusion.
You see, gates exist as a means of moving us beyond protective walls that serve to either keep people in or else keep people out. While walls and bolted gates can serve to protect us from those we fear, they also isolate us from those we are called to serve in Jesus’ name.
Open gates on the other hand exist to provide a path through the very walls and fences that make it difficult, if not impossible, for us to fulfil our mandate as disciples of Jesus Christ. Like the gates of the New Jerusalem, it is God’s desire that our church gates be perpetually opened - fostering an environment of inclusion and belonging.
However, creating and sustaining an inclusive community where people can enter freely across generational, cultural, theological and linguistic barriers requires intentionality on our part. Sometimes,it can be as easy as opening a gate and inviting others to travel through it with us. At other times, it may require the breaking down of old walls that continue to divide us, and installing gates in their place.
Look around. Do you see gates of inclusion where young and old, lost and saved, churched and unchurched men and women, English and Portuguese speakers can pass through and encounter one another? Do you see old walls of division which are in desperate need of being torn down and replaced with gates of inclusion?
May we strive to be a place where our gates remain open and people experience a sense of belonging in Christ.
Reprinted from Inside Central (October 2013)
