a door is symbolic of entry.  shut.

closed.

open.

is a knock required?

and when the door is opened up, what happens?

an open door is symbolic of a welcome.

come on in.

for months now, I've encouraged us to open our doors and welcome Jesus into our homes, cities, churches, marriages, family, and our own hearts. the first of the month. to start the month off by declaring that Jesus Christ is welcomed to come in and rest and commune and teach and guide and help us. all symbolically. with a posture to let Him reign!

the #WelcomeJesus movement continues. but with a bolder declaration. a declaration that, yes, Jesus, You are welcomed here and let me be the one that You use to welcome others. 

as i sat astounded and embarrassed at how katherine johnson, dorothy vaughan, and mary jackson were treated, like every other african-american woman in the movie hidden figures, the reality of the immigration ban was reeling in my mind.

for to welcome Jesus is to welcome the least of these. to love our enemies. to feed the hungry and take in the fatherless. for me to welcome Jesus, I must teach my children that we are called to love like Christ who gave Himself up for us. if I call Him Lord then I lay down my ways for His teachings in Scripture. and every bit of the Gospel calls me and you, Christ follower, to abandon ourselves and take up His cross and follow Him. to welcome not ban. to open our doors and let them in.

i refuse to be a repeat of a generation who said whites could drink from this water fountain and colored people drink for the other. i refuse to expect a minority to sit in the back of the bus. or have proof of an assortment of paperwork. it will not be said of me and my family that we closed a door. it will not be said of the church i attend that only certain people can come.

to welcome Jesus is to open our doors.

wednesday, february 1 open your doors. symbolically. literally. let's stand together and say, "all are welcomed here." 

and in my city of san francisco, a sanctuary city, i've got a lifetime of people to love. the immigrants. the refugees. the under-resourced. the minority.  for they sit beside me at church and are on our football and baseball and taekwondo teams. they lead us in worship and in small groups and in business decisions and in community and in technology and in science and in education. they are our next door neighbors. they love. they help. they teach. they are a part of the Kingdom of God and I joyfully say, "you are welcomed here."

so this wednesday, welcome in Jesus. welcome in all who Christ died for and gave freedom to. that's you and me and every person in between.