Did you know that I went to church when I was a young man? One day it was my turn to read from the scroll. I did so and went on to remind the people of Biblical accounts in which God bestowed blessings on people who were outsiders when there were those in need within the nation of Israel. This was not well received, and it was the last time I was welcome in church. I went on to do my public ministry to outsiders as an outsider myself. Do you accept it as an essential element of your faith that God loves everyone? How popular in your church are stories of God blessing outsiders?

Have you heard accounts of military engagements in which a piece of ground is fought over in a bloody battle, and the victor later abandons it without opposition? Does it make you wonder why they fought so hard for it in the first place? Do you know that you get to choose which hills you are willing to die on, and this concept extends to your defense of the faith? Is everything that your church believes and practices essential to the faith that you present to others? Do you know which things are, and which are not?

Have I not chosen the poor to be rich in faith? The poor are aware of their need for me, but the affluent have no such awareness, and so they suffer from poverty of spirit, which is not the same thing as being poor in spirit. This is bad enough, but it can be carried one step further. The poor are also aware of their need for one another and so they seek out one another and make the connections that sustain their community of life.

What descriptor is more sought after by adolescents than being cool? Yet is this a desirable trait? It implies aloofness, cynicism, suppression of enthusiasm, and opposition rather than support. Do you admire people who are warm rather than those who are cold? Being cool and being cold are similar. Do you see these qualities becoming increasingly prevalent in older people and society as a whole in a culture that resists maturity? Adolescent traits are not attractive in adults.