Opening the Circle: Embracing Diversity in Faith and Community
What if our calling is to open up the circle of faith, community, and church just a little bit wider? Not someday in some future far away, but today, and then again tomorrow.
Picture a circle of chairs. Some are full, but some are empty—and they're empty on purpose. The core of the gospel is a widening circle of open relationships, not a gated community or a members-only club.
What Does Scripture Say About Inclusion?
Paul reminds us in Galatians that "in Christ you are all God's children baptized into one life." There are no divisions in our community. "Jew and Greek, slave and free, male and female"—these aren't just nice Bible words. They represent walls being broken down in the first century and in ours. They are seats added to the circle of the kingdom.
Peter's Transformation in Acts
Peter learned the hard way in Acts 10 when he visited Cornelius's house. Peter was everything that Cornelius was not, and vice versa. Cornelius was Roman, powerful, politically connected, and considered "unclean." Peter shouldn't have entered his house according to Jewish law.
But God changed a Gentile kitchen into holy ground. Peter's vision was retrained, his eyes saw new things, and his heart was reformed about what the Gospel truly means. God told him: "Don't call unclean what God calls clean."
This sentence can still save churches, friendships, families, and communities—especially in our polarized world.
The Early Church's Approach to Conflict
In Acts 15, the church argued about inclusion. The text is clear about their disagreement. But then they prayed and listened. Grace won the day when they concluded: "We believe we are saved by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ"—not by gatekeeping, following Old Testament laws, or passing cultural tests.
The early church didn't avoid conflict. They gathered it up, worked through it, talked through it, prayed through it, and listened. They always came to the same decision: open the circle wider. And so must we today.
What Does an Inclusive Community Look Like?
Romans 16 shows us a wonderful guest list of early church members:
* Phoebe, a deacon and leader
* Priscilla and Aquila, house church hosts
* Junia, "outstanding among the apostles"
* Tryphaena and Tryphosa, "workers of the Lord"
* Rufus and his mother, whom Paul called "a mother to me"
This chapter reads like a potluck of grace—different names, ethnicities, stories, and languages, but one table.
The New Testament teaches that the church is God's new creation. Not sameness, but diversity with a shared Lord. People making a future together as a beloved community in Christ.
Wisdom from Spiritual Leaders
Barbara Brown Taylor reminds us that "hospitality turns strangers into neighbors, and neighbors into guests of God."
Henri Nouwen wrote of a "downward mobility"—don't climb over people; instead, kneel to wash their feet.
Richard Rohr says, "Love expands the circle. Fear contracts the circle. Christ moves us outward always."
How Can We Practice Opening the Circle?
I learned this in Italy, where my first Bible study was at a kitchen table at 10 PM. We didn't start with rules; we started with open relationships, names, friendships, stories, and love. We started with an open and relational God who wanted to be part of people's lives. Then God did the rest.
Business taught me these things too. A hotel lobby can become a church. My farm venue hosts grace all the time.
My encouragement to you today is to open up your circles as well:
Open Your Circle at Work
- Invite that quiet intern to lunch - Ask the night shift tech who nobody talks to about their story
Open Your Circle at School
- Sit with a new student - Share your notes (not rumors)
Open Your Circle at Home
- Add a chair for the neighbor kid - Bless the noisy dinner
Open Your Circle at Church
- Move toward someone you don't know - Smile at them, say hello, use their name in a prayer
Three Simple Steps to Opening Your Circle
1. Look
Look with gospel eyes. Ask prayerfully: "Who's missing in the circle?" If you don't see it the first time, ask again and again until you do.
2. Linger
Linger without rushing. Listen to people—listen for their pain, listen for their joy. Let your silence and listening to their story do some loving pastoral work.
3. Lift
Lift with practical help. Give someone a ride, a meal, or a recommendation. These small lifts can change people's lives.
Who Can Practice Opening the Circle?
Children
You can do this too! On bus rides and at recess, you can see the people who don't have friends and need a lift.
Youth
You can claim this call in clubs and teams. Be the one who notices others.
Adults
Practice "Monday faith" by carrying Christ into meetings, turning circles into opportunities to love, listen, and care.
What Keeps Us from Opening the Circle?
Sometimes it's fear, frustration, or fatigue. Sometimes it's false boundary lines. Sometimes our maps are old about what the boundaries should be—like Peter's were. But God is editing them. The Spirit continues to nudge us: "Go with them, doubting nothing. Trust me with the next chair."
Theologian Stanley Hauerwas says that church politics is how we treat each other. Our witness needs to become our way. Our love needs to become our lifestyle. Our practice needs to be all about peace.
Is "Opening the Circle" Just "Anything Goes"?
Opening the circle is not "anything goes." It is grace leading us with Jesus as Lord.
A Word to Those Who Feel Outside
You are already on God's heart and have been for a very long time. We have saved a seat for you.
A Word to Those Who Guard the Circle
Thank you for caring, but now help us widen the circle wisely.
A Word for All of Us
The net won't break. The church won't break. Grace can hold all of us—not just those who are here, but those God is calling to come.
Life Application
This week, commit to opening your circle in at least one area of your life. Choose one of the three steps—Look, Linger, or Lift—and put it into practice deliberately.
Ask yourself:
* Who is missing from my circle that God might be calling me to include?
* Where am I drawing boundaries that God might be asking me to reconsider?
* What fears are keeping me from opening my circle wider?
* How might my life be enriched by including someone different from me?
We are called to open the circle. We are called to be one in Christ. And we are called to go first in grace.
