“The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.” Rejection is one of the hardest experiences in life. For me, it conjures up the scene of a childhood playground, the captains of two teams reducing the pool of eligible members one by one to the inevitable “last”pick. For those few at the end of the selection, the scene is loaded with feelings of being less than, of “other-ness.”
We can spend a lifetime insulating our hearts and souls from rejection, either by continually striving to be a captain, by disappearing into the anonymity at the middle of the pack or by removing ourselves from the game altogether. Another childhood memory is of a poster showing a boy, his head lowered and his clenched hands across his mouth, with the words, “I know I’m somebody cause God don’t make no junk!” It’s an inelegant yet succinct description of God’s grace. God has grace for all, even for the least of us. The least accomplished, the least attractive, the least pious, the least likable. God loves us wherever he finds us. In the knowledge of God’s prodigal, unconditional grace and love, how do we change our heart’s perspective and the way we live out our lives in love and faith? We must step out in faith and become the solid foundation of God’s church, in the surety of God’s acceptance of all that we are. In our corner of God’s kingdom, let us serve all persons with love and generosity, and let us do that work together.
- Psalm 119:9-16
- Isaiah 43:8-13
- 2 Corinthians 3:4-11
