The Scandal of Inclusion (Revisited): From Purity Codes to Divine Embrace
Originally preached in 2017; revised in light of new insights from Terror Management Theory. When fingers cross and we say “God forbid,” what are we really protecting — God’s realm or our own sense of control? Two words that have policed countless bodies and identities under the guise of holiness. But what if the real scandal isn’t our embodiment, but grace itself? Introduction: An Invitation to Be Scandalized (Again) Eight years ago, I stood before an affirming congregation and delivered a message I titled The Scandal of Inclusion . At the time, I framed the Book of Acts as a collection of scandalous stories — narratives so disruptive that they caused people to trip, question, and reimagine what God’s grace could really look like. Since then, I’ve come to see those same stories through an even richer lens, one I wish I’d had back then: Terror Management Theory (TMT) . I now can’t help but see existential issues we are struggling with today through this lens; so much so, I fea...
