If you travel on a Tube train in London, you may notice an unusual image woven on some seats [display the Train seat image]: an outline of a person, connected to two other people by a small circle, and the word ‘self’. Those two people are connected to someone else by a circle and the word ‘other’. It’s part of a series of artwork by artist Michael Landy, inspired by stories of kindness and celebrating ordinary acts of generosity and compassion that take place every day on the Tube.
The image might get you thinking – who is the seat for, who is it not for, or are we supposed to do something? What story inspired it?
Perhaps it means that anyone sitting in that seat needs to hold hands with other passengers along that side of the train – or perhaps not. It might also get you thinking about the concept of self, knowing ourselves, belonging and others.
In contrast, there was a news feature in which a reporter was asking different groups of people for their views on ‘immigrants’, and if they would be welcome in their country. Most said they’d be welcome only if they entered legally, with the correct documents, passport, invitation letters, job offers and so on.
At that point the interviewer asked them if they thought Jesus would be welcome. Because as a child and as an adult Jesus crossed many land and geographical borders without documents or a job offer or anything else.
What was interesting in the exchange was the way people viewed ‘others’. They took the role of gatekeepers, deciding who would be seen as the right type of person to come in and who wasn’t: who was seen as deserving of a place amongst them and who wasn’t, who would be helped and who would not, who would be allowed to access the full benefits of belonging to the society, and who would be actively blocked.
We see ‘othering’ of groups of people every day because of an aspect of who they are, their race, their social status, class, sexuality, age and any number of other things. But ‘self’ and ‘others’ are two sides of the same coin. We are all the ‘other’ to someone else. Outside of our families, our corps and churches, our workplace, our local area, we may be viewed as different, odd or out of place.
If we follow Christ, we are supposed to actively seek out others. We should see ourselves in them and want to see Christ in them, because as God’s children we are all loved by Christ and all have value in his eyes. People who may be different from us – a different gender, ethnic group, sexuality or age – are all valuable members of our community, and our service to others is our service to Christ.
Outside of who we are, difference may also be experienced due to circumstances. This may be economic circumstances or a lack of access to life’s essentials, or it may be people who do not yet know the Lord, or those who have experienced unfortunate circumstances in their lives – the list can go on. All are ‘others’.
When Jesus was asked which commandment was more important, he said:
‘“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” The second is this: “Love your neighbour as yourself.” There is no commandment greater than these.’
(Mark 12:30-31)
The ‘other’ is our neighbour, the one we are told to love as ourselves. In John 15:12 Jesus tells us to
‘love each other as I have loved you’.
Therefore, loving others is a form of service.
In the Bible we are shown and told different ways what loving others looks like:
- Ephesians 4:32: ‘Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.’
- Luke 6:37: ‘Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned.’
Will it be easy? Most of the time no. Will it be worth it? Yes!
REFLECTION
‘If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?’
(Matthew 5:46-47)
Play the song video ‘Compelled by love’ by the International Staff Songsters and invite everyone to consider what this Scripture might be telling us about loving and serving others in relation to:
- God’s view of discrimination
- God’s expectations of us
- Being challenged or challenging ourselves
- What opportunities we can create to serve others
