Dig Deeper into Sunday’s Gospel: Read Mark 9:38–43,45,47–48

In high school, I was a wannabe popular girl. I desperately wanted to be part of the elite social circle of the prettiest and most athletic girls, and I spent my high school days slowly climbing the social ladder until, eventually, senior year, I was accepted as a fringe member of the club. I was good enough to sit at their lunch table and be included in group projects, but when it came to the pre-prom photoshoot or the after-party invitations, I didn't make the cut. I was close but never fully in. Writing all of that sounds so pathetic, and looking back, I recognize how shallow of an existence it all was. 

Exclusivity is alluring. It has a way of making you feel like you have worth, like you belong. It tempts you with the lie that your dignity is tied to your social status. I chased after that feeling for a long time. 

Here's the thing about exclusivity, though: it often comes at the expense of others. A couple of years after graduating, over summer vacation, my sister came home from a shift at the ice cream shop where we both worked. "You know who I saw today?" she asked. "Johnny, from your high school class." 

"Oh, no way! How's he doing?" 

"He seemed good, but do you know what he said? He told me to say hi to you, but you probably wouldn't remember him because he wasn't one of the popular kids." 

My heart sank. It still does when I think back to it. 

I knew exactly who Johnny was. Sure, we were never friends, but to this day, 14 years after graduating, I can still recall his face. I realized that in my attempt to create the illusion of popularity, I was causing others to feel unseen. I wasn't just chasing popularity; I was leaving others out along the way. 

I was reminded of that incident when I read Sunday's gospel. The following verses continually strike me: 

John said to him, "Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us."

Jesus replied, “Do not prevent him. There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me. For whoever is not against us is for us." (Mark 9:38-40, emphasis added) 

Jesus is warning His disciples, and in turn, each of us, against a spirit of exclusivism. His disciples were quick to draw a line between "us" and "them," assuming that only "true" disciples were capable of performing mighty deeds. Jesus quickly admonishes this mentality, reminding them that God's power is not confined to such human ways of thinking, social status, or self-imposed boundaries. Anyone who uses Jesus' name for good, who is not against Jesus, is to be included in the mission.

In our polarized society, it is so easy to pin each other against one another. It's easy to fall into the trap of believing that if someone doesn't think, act, believe, and vote exactly as we do, they are wrong, against us, and should be excluded. This polarization is not limited to the political or social sphere but exists among all Christians, even within the walls of the Catholic Church. This gospel reminds us that we are called to abandon patterns of behavior that form invisible walls, isolate, exclude, and prevent. Seeking to divide those who are "in" from those who are "out" takes our eyes off the One who is the essence of communion.

In Christ, there is no elite social club or inner circle that determines your worth or capability of following Jesus. We are all invited to be one body in Christ. Each of us is a sinner, imperfect, and in need of a Savior. We are called to follow Christ, in whose image and likeness each of us was made, who gifts us with inherent dignity and worth, and who calls us beloved.

Food for thought or journaling...

In what ways might you be unintentionally contributing to feelings of exclusivity among others? How can you broaden your understanding of what it means to be Christ's disciple? How can you point others back to Jesus instead of yourself?

Jesus, free me from the lie that exclusivity is better, that my worth is tied to my status. Open my eyes to the people around me who are not against You. Help me to come alongside them and include them rather than prevent them. Soften my heart so that I may see every person and every circumstance as You do. Amen.