Ahoy, inclusional adventurers!
Welcome to the fourth week of our Christian Life Hacks journey. This week, we’re going to dive headfirst into the world of “Inclusional” living. Now, you might be thinking, “Wait a second, is ‘inclusional’ even a word?” Well, my dear word sleuths, for the sake of our blog series, let’s say it is!
Inclusional (adj.): characterized by an intentional effort to
welcome and embrace everyone in order to foster a sense of
belonging for all members of a biblical community.James starts off with a zinger in James 2:1:
My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others?
James 2:1 (NLT)
In simple language: don’t play favorites, folks! We all know how easy it is to gravitate toward certain people (Hello, fellow coffee addicts!). But when we let biases and favoritism take the wheel, we end up drifting away from that wonderful unity of spirit that Jesus is dying to create.
So, what can we do to break free from the chains of bias? First, let’s do some soul-searching. Are there certain people or groups we tend to favor or avoid based on appearance, beliefs, or background? It’s time to challenge those biases head-on and embrace the inclusional mindset.
Next, we can intentionally make an effort to connect with people outside our usual circles. You know, that quiet coworker who always eats lunch alone? Maybe it’s time to break bread together and share your mutual love for obscure 80s music (It’s the best anyway). Or how about the neighbor you’ve barely spoken to in years? Why not strike up a conversation about your shared love-hate relationship with lawn care?
Remember, friends, breaking the bias is about more than just being polite. It’s about actively working towards an inclusional community where everyone feels welcomed, valued, and loved. So, let’s roll up our sleeves and get to work on breaking those biases – one intentional, love-filled interaction at a time.
In what areas of your life do you need to challenge your biases and be more inclusional?
(from Brian)
I am back in town so you will here more from me 🙏🔥👌
This is not an easy question to answer and truth be told, we all have our biases and prejudices. I’m sure some is learned and some is innate.
Just looking at my circle of friends (I do have many with all walks of life) and I really do love and enjoy them all the same. But truth be told, the ones I hang out more often with tend to share common attributes.
I’ve met lots of cool people from being intentional. A few of you are in here and I’m sure you have done the same for me as in intentionally trying to talk to me. Regrets will start to kick in bc u know that’s a big mistake when I talk your ear off.
One of the worst things I truly believe anyone can experience is isolation and awkwardness. Bc I believe that I should be more observant and take action. Great reminder and teaching today. (Been missing out this past week)
I want to start being more inclusional at church. I’m an introvert so it’s not easy to initiate conversations but I will talk to at least one person I normally don’t talk to. I think having a genuine interest would make it easier to approach the person.
I grew up in a church where every member was Filipino, so since I was a kid would gravitate towards people of the same ethnicity. However, when I moved to California, my perspective changed and I wanted to break the bias of mainly associating with people who were similar to me. Being a part of a fellowship like Intervarsity and International Student Ministries opened my eyes on the idea of multicultural relationships. I started to enjoy learning more about other cultures and traditions. I want to truly let go of the biases I grew up with and continue to be more inviting and curious towards others. It’s easier said than done because I still have some implicit bias, but acknowledging them would steer me in the right direction.
In place I can be more “inclusional” would probably be at church. I don’t think I do a good enough job welcoming new people and I tend to talk to people I know. I don’t think it’s a bias that necessarily causes me not to be “inclusional” but more just who I am comfortable talking to. I guess I can find a way to be more welcoming in maybe trying to strike up a conversation with a new person.
I think one area of my life in which I need to challenge my biases is people who speak English well. When I talk to them, I feel shy or negative because I assume that they cannot understand what I have told them, however I can do away with that bias, and then I wanna talk with them more.