The Space Between Us

The Invitation

We were standing in the middle of her classroom. My daughter’s face beamed as she proudly showed me her artwork. From the corner of our eyes, we saw a little girl walk into the classroom, holding a bunch of beautiful pink envelopes. 

One by one she handed them out, walking to each little girl as she whispered in their ear. I watched as she came down to the final envelope. With only two girls remaining in the class,  I still remember my daughter’s face the moment she realised; she wasn’t getting an envelope. 

The look of disappointment. Then in a split second, she bounced off, running outside to play foursquare with the boys. 

I, on the other hand, didn’t handle it as well. I hurried back to the car as tears streamed down my face. Somehow, these words echoed in my head:  

“I belong to the most exclusive club in the world.”

Those words have haunted me ever since. What did they mean? Why do I keep hearing them? 

A Change in Perspective

Not long after, I noticed something strange. You see, I’m the crazy woman who wakes up early – I mean when it’s still dark outside. 

One morning, I paused by the window, taking notice of the trees and the plants in my backyard. I checked to see if there was a light from a neighbour’s house brightening the yard, but nope. Switching on the light inside the house, suddenly the outside world plunged into darkness.  

I remember thinking about this perspective of darkness and light as I entered my prayer time, reading John 1. 

"Through Him all things are made, without Him nothing has been made. In Him was life and that life was the light of all mankind” (John 1:3-4). 

As these words seeped deeper and deeper into my heart, I remembered those other words… “I belong to the most exclusive club in the world.”

Isn’t it interesting that when we turn on the light, we are illuminated and the world fades into darkness?  I thought about what language we use within our faith which excludes those who do not yet know Him. 

I remember thinking at the time, this is too big, too hard to do. The gap is too big, the space between us too wide. 

But I know that God’s love for us is so great that he sent Jesus for the world (Jn 3:16). 

Made with a Purpose

I am convinced that God so loves the whole world because the invitation to be his image-bearers is one that encompasses all of humankind. 

God’s mission and purpose for humanity is to rule and reign with Him. We are designed for it, and each of us  is uniquely shaped to contribute. 

This is something that cannot be contained to a single day, but one which envelopes our whole selves!

That was Christ’s purpose, through which all things were made, to create in himself one new humanity. That His blood was shed on the cross to reconcile us back to God and to each other. 

When I look back through human history, I see Jesus followers as one of radical inclusivity as God was stretching the imaginations of the early church. Even Peter says, “I now realise how true it is that God does not show favouritism…”

God’s plan is always for the redemption of all of humanity.

What would it look like if we saw the world this way? What if we viewed all of humanity through God’s eyes, participating in His invitation – the very one He mandated for all of humanity?

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