About ten years ago my wife Shannon and I travelled to San Antonio, Texas, and during that trip we toured a few of the historic Catholic Missions that are still standing. This included The Alamo, which was not a fort as some might guess but a Mission that became the site of a famous battle during the Texas Revolution against Mexico.
But one of the things I remember from these was the Mission at San Jose which had a separate window called the Rose window – for the Native Americans to hear the word of God. They would stand outside this window in the elements, in the heat and the cold, in the sun or the rain to listen when Mass was given. They were not allowed into the church building, since they were not thought of as worthy Catholics. They were considered 2nd class by the Catholic church, in much the same way that the Jewish Priests and Israelites thought of the Gentiles. Those who wanted hear the Old Testament spoken had to stay outside the Temple or the synagogue walls in the time of Jesus.
Obviously the Church of Christ today has no such practice, but it can still happen in a different way. It can happen when strangers visit a congregation, especially those who look “poor” or lower class and are ignored or treated with less respect than members or more wealthy visitors.
In my bible, James chapter 2 is entitled Favoritism Forbidden, and in verses 1-9 we read:
“My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong?
If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.”
We recently had a community BBQ at our church building and there were a number of people who attended from the neighborhood. I would say that the majority of the people who attended were mostly interested in a free meal. They were not “rich”. They were not what the world would define as “beautiful people”, yet every single one was beautiful in God’s eyes. The only way they were truly poor was that they lacked God in their lives; God’s word, His wisdom and most importantly the salvation offered through his Son Jesus Christ.
Speaking to his disciples Jesus summed up the position of the poor in this world in Luke 6:20, when he said:
“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.”
All those who search after God and find Him, no matter what their appearance, social standing or finances, all are worthy and deserving of respect and compassion, since we are all made in the image of God.
Barrie ON