by Claudia Windal

Created on: July 01, 2010

We Christians have been taught to emulate the Christ in word and action. The New Testament letters and gospels set us on the right path to becoming Christ like. Once we have learned how Christ walked among humankind, responded to various situations, and taught us how to love one another as we love ourselves, we are ready to step into becoming Christlike ourselves.

Several years ago, I was substituting for a parish priest on the first Sunday of Advent. When it came time for the first lesson, the reader began and another voice joined in from the congregation. This second person was a middle aged Black gentleman who had never been to a service in our church. He quoted Isaiah word for word as our lector read. I went to the lector and asked him to sit and we would have the gentleman continue. Just then, our guest stood up and made his way to the main aisle while continuing his speaking the words of the reading. The nervous energy in the congregation was palpable and I began to wonder what I might do to ease the folks. When our visitor reached the stairs to the sanctuary, I met him and suggested that he join us during our social hour following the service. His respond to was come closer to the steps until the ushers took him by the arms and escorted him from the church. I was dumbfounded by this event but sat and encouraged the next reader to come forward.

As I proclaimed the gospel, I stood near the front pews and asked, "Has anyone considered that we may have just removed Jesus from His church?" I raised the question of what about this gentleman and/or his actions that made us anxious? What were our expectations of him? of me, the priest? Why was it that there was no relaxation until this man had been removed from the church? The answers were interesting and disturbing. One woman stated that "we didn't know him or what he might do to our children." Our children were downstairs in Sunday school or the nursery! The church grew silent as I asked, "might this gentleman been the Christ?" We remained in silence.

We must know the Christ intimately to be like him. This doesn't mean as much being able to quote huge sections of Jesus speaking in Sacred scripture, but rather, to understand how and why Jesus acted, spoke, and responded as he did and to be willing to do likewise. Jesus reached out to the lonely, the under served, the poor, sick, those in prison, children and many others. Are we able to do this in our lives? Do we recognize the need for these actions and are

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