There is something about walls and borders and barriers many of us find appealing. They allow us to know who is in and who is out. They give us boundaries, which can be a comfort. But there can be something dangerous in looking at the world through a lens of “in or out.” It can reduce us to binary thinking, and if you have been listening to me for any length of time you will know how unhelpful I think binaries can be.
The “in or out” binary is so dangerous because it leads to totalizing thinking. The people who are “out” are completely and totally out and those who are “in” are completely and totally in. But is anyone totally in or out of anything? Many of us are dismayed by the tribalism and partisanship we see online, in politics, in workplaces, and even in families. This kind of thinking is a logical outcome of this binary.
This Sunday’s sermons try to open us to a different way of thinking. Let me know if you found it compelling.
“Who’s in?” Knox Presbyterian (to download, right-click and select “Save Link As . . .”)
“Whos in?” St. Mark’s Presbyterian (to download, right-click and select “Save Link As . . .”)
Blessings,
Picture credit: This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-ND
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