The diocese where I live has an annual fund drive (D/PSC), as I think many dioceses and other church bodies do. And each year it has a theme. This year's theme is "Accept one another as Christ accepted you. (Rom. 15:7)." Considering the difficulties we have been going through here with parish closings and mergings, not to mention brouhaha over stalled plans to build a Cathedral, this theme seems quite appropriate.
When I first saw the theme, it got me thinking of a song I listened to as a child, simply called Acceptance Song. I have no idea how this particular tape came into my possession or who the recording artists were, but they were some Australian (or otherwise accented-English, but not British) group of Evangelical or pentecostal persuasion. The tape sounded like it was recorded in a large church or theater-type venue, with a large congregation that occasionally joined in.
The words of the Acceptance Song were simple: "Christ accepted you/accept one another also/That you may with one accord/glorify the God and Father/ of our Lord Jesus Christ." After this was sung a few times, one of the singers says "Let's do this now... Everyone turn to one another and say this: 'I accept you in Jesus' name.'" You hear hubbub for a good couple of minutes while the music plays, and then everyone sings the song again.
It struck me as odd as a child, mostly because I couldn't imagine any setting where people would talk like this to one another. But as I saw this theme for our D/PSC this year, I couldn't help but imagine what it might be like to have everyone do this at the dinner that kicks off the drive for the year.
"I accept you in Jesus' name." What would it be like to say this to those who like to complain about homeschoolers, or the adamant Democrats, or the adamant Republicans, or the people whose musical tastes I don't care for? What would it be like to hear people say this to me? What does it mean to accept someone, and what is it that might make it challenging to accept certain people?
Hmmm...
1 comment:
I would probably be embarrassed if someone came up to me and said they accepted me in the name of Jesus Christ. Just cuz it would seem so odd and make me feel kind of on the spot. However, I do think that for me, whenever I meet someone, those I like and those I don't like, if I said to myself, "I accept this person in the name of Jesus Christ," that would probably be an excellent spiritual exercise for me! I'd have to stretch and not respond in a reactive way but in a more considered and Christian way.
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