While I was in England on my sabbatical, a group of us had a daily ritual of going into the TV room to watch the nightly news. The first thing I noticed is that the BBC news anchors are nowhere near as good looking as ours. Not one of them holds a candle to Katie Couric. The second thing that became clear to me is that the British are dealing with the same issues as the US: health care, crime, unemployment, the war on terror, and more. And, while I was there, the big issue being discussed was immigration. Like the US, the British struggle with what to do about the large number of people who come into England from abroad. For instance, 1 out of 4 people living in London was born outside Britain— either in Asia or Africa. And aside from the impact that immigrants are having on British society, the underlying fear of the people is that England is slowly becoming less European in its culture as more and more people come into the country with different cultures, religions and languages. The underlying question among many British people is “What does it mean to be British?” It seems that British society is engaged in a struggle to retain its national identity.
This concern over a national identity is not unique at this time in history. In fact, the people of Israel worried about this issue long before any European societies were forming. Remember, that the Jewish people came into a land that was already occupied by various peoples. So, one of their great concerns was how to retain their Jewishness while living in the midst of so many other peoples? To some degree, the Torah or Jewish law helped define who was and who was not a true Jew. Laws governing diet, worship, marriage and circumcision helped define what it meant to be a Jew. The presence of the Temple in Jerusalem was the primary symbol of Jewish identity. And, most importantly, it was their belief in one God that set Jews apart from most other people. But, from time to time the Jewish people found themselves living in exile and it became difficult to avoid the influence of other people on their Jewish identity.
By the time the prophet Isaiah was preaching, the thought had already developed that the identity of Israel would be reinforced by other peoples coming to recognize that the God of Israel was the only true God. Isaiah makes it clear that the survivors of the exile will go to the farthest of nations that do not know God. The presence of Jews in other lands will bring a knowledge of the God of Israel to the people. Thus, the Jewish identity would not only remain but would be instrumental in bringing other people to know God. Eventually, it was envisioned that these exiles would return to Israel and that the peoples of other nations would also be drawn towards Jerusalem where they would recognize God’s holiness and power. Thus, the scattering of Jews during the exile was a good thing— designed to bring other nations into an awareness of the God of Israel and eventually lead to their conversion. We have lots of images in the Scriptures of Jerusalem the holy city being a beacon of light and truth to all the nations.
This attitude dominated European and American thought for many years. For a time, American foreign policy was to encourage other nations to embrace similar values. Trade, travel and welcoming immigrants was seen as a way of reinforcing our identity in the world. The hope was that other nations would seek to emulate all that was good about American or Europe and eventually fall in line with our ideas about freedom. In fact an openness to immigrants is what actually strengthened our nation as people from around the world embraced the American way of life along with the language, culture and traditions.
However, in recent times, there has been a more polarized view of how to deal with people who are different from us. More and more immigrants to Europe and America are seeking to retain their language, their culture and their religion. Instead of embracing people who are different, many nations see the presence of foreigners as a threat to their national identity. The result is that there is a trend of trying to preserve our identity by rejecting groups of people who are different. This is not only true in the United States but throughout much of the world. From Europe to the Middle East to Asia and beyond, more and more people are seeking to protect their culture and religion by rejecting those who are different. Many of us find ourselves agreeing with this view.
Not only is the practice of exclusion evident in our social life but it is increasingly evident in the practice of our religion. Now, more than ever, religious bodies are intent on purifying themselves of any different thoughts and practices. People who are different are separated out and even labeled. We use the word “heretic” quite freely today and we tell people that they are “separated” from us. As a Catholic Church we have even resorted to using words and phrases like “separated brethren” to describe other Christians. Some insist that other churches are not even churches or that they are “wounded” in some way. It seems that the longstanding practice of Christians reaching out and embracing others has fallen by the wayside. It is easier to say “they are different” instead of saying “we have something in common.”
In the Gospel today, Jesus is heading towards Jerusalem— the great city and symbol of Judaism. He is going there to die and to follow the path of all the prophets who went before him. And, along the way, he is asked, “Lord, will only a few be saved?” Even then, it seems, some were concerned about who would be included and who would not. Jesus answers this question by using the image of a door. First, Jesus says that the door will be narrow, that many will try to enter that door and not be able. Then, the door goes from being narrow to being closed. The invitation to the banquet has been given to all people but some have postponed responding or have taken the invitation for granted. But if the person asking the question was concerned about those others out there getting into the banquet, Jesus suddenly tells them that those who claim know Jesus or spent time with him or remembered him visiting their towns will not automatically be admitted. In other words, just because your an Israelite or a Jew does not mean you will get into the banquet. And, if that was not painful enough to hear, Jesus also tells them that they will experience the shame and pain of seeing a large gathering of people from all walks of life coming into the banquet before them. Even the Gentiles and “those others” out there would be gathered from the corners of the earth and find a place of welcome in the eternal banquet.
This kind of language was seen as a threat to those who presumed that their identity was most important to God. Being one of the “chosen” or being of the house of Israel was thought to insure one’s entrance into God’s Kingdom. But Jesus says this is not necessarily the case. In fact, the people would be surprised to see others coming from the east and the west to find a seat at the banquet table. Clearly, Jesus did not adhere to the idea that God welcomes people on the basis of their national or religious identity.
The fact is, Jesus’ own journey to Jerusalem to suffer and die, was an inclusive event. That is, Jesus died for all humanity. What happened to him in Jerusalem was not simply a Jewish event but a universal one and, in time, that first community of Jewish followers would understand that the door to salvation was to be opened to all people. The rules and laws governing one’s Jewishness were, in fact, later abandoned when it came to discerning who should be part of the faith community. It was understood that God plays no favorites; God is not given to certain preferences when it comes to the offer of salvation. Salvation is offered to every member of the human family without regard for race, culture, nationality, language or even religion.
The radical nature of the reading from Isaiah and this Gospel cannot be taken lightly. They show that God’s grace is unbounded. God’s grace reaches out to those who we might not only distrust but despise. Often times, we believe that only those who are faithful to our understanding of things deserve salvation. We believe that only those who belong to the right religious group or those who believe in correct doctrine and follow an approved way of life will be gathered together in God’s Kingdom. But the readings today, in fact the entire message and activity of Jesus, is opposed to this myopic vision of salvation. We must be careful not to become smug about our own salvation. This happens because we believe we are doing what is right. Certainly, following the guidelines and rules of religion are important. It is important to practice what we truly believe is the right way to enter God’s Kingdom but we must be careful not to judge others on that basis. Remember what Jesus said to the person who asked the question about who would be saved. Jesus states clearly that one’s claim to know him is not enough to insure entrance into the eternal banquet.
Ultimately, there will be a disconnect between the way the nations and other earthly powers welcome people and the way God welcomes people. Nations may set boundaries and establish laws to preserve their own identity. Nations may demand that people speak a certain language or follow a certain religion. That is the way of the world. But God is not concerned with such issues. God gives salvation freely to those who will accept it. Anyone who will receive God’s gift will be welcomed.