We are still scratching our heads

Friday February 29th, John 4: 27 Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, "What do you want?" or "Why are you talking with her?" 28 Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, 29 "Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?" 30 They came out of the town and made their way toward him. The disciples didn’t know what to say. The disciples didn’t know what to say. Here was Jesus, their Rabbi and Master, talking to an outsider times three. What in the world would possess him to do this? And then surprise of surprises, she takes off and starts the church while they are still scratching their heads wondering how to stop her. Too often in history the church has acted like the disciples not the outsider times three. Perhaps it is because for many centuries now, the church has been an insider trying to reach out to outsiders by expecting them to act and think like insiders. If Jesus had his way we wouldn’t even be having these discussions about illegal immigrants, he would call us to treat them like people. What barriers do we place between the church and the people we are trying to reach? What is one barrier we can take down this year?