“White people, you have to understand this: Jesus does not look like you!”

This was the opening line and the perpetual refrain of one Sunday’s sermon at a church that boasted of their intense inclusivity and rich diversity.

After recently moving from the conservative, rural American South to the liberal cityscape of the North, I was quite excited to see (almost all) the churches here openly proclaiming their inclusivity and diversity, which was a stark contrast to what I had been used to ‘back home.’ And I eagerly began visiting some of these places in hopes of finding a community where I finally felt that I belonged. Surely, if they were all so inclusive and welcoming and diverse, there would be space for me to come just as I am—and not having to work hard to merely ‘fit in’ with the crowd.

But suddenly, Jesus doesn’t look like me? He only looks like ‘other people’ who don’t look ‘like me’? I found out later, after emailing the pastor, that my hidden ‘diversities’ were not part of the specific diversities they were intending to include. I was welcome to ‘find a place to fit in’ (but not add to) their existing ‘diversity.’

St. John Chrysostom said once that if we cannot find the face of Jesus in the beggar outside the Church doors, we will never find Him inside the Chalice or the Bread.

I would like to add to this the idea that if we can’t also look around at all the people who have somehow managed to drag themselves inside of the church doors—including ourselves—coming in all the ways we find ourselves broken and in need of the Healer’s Touch (because, why else would we have come to church, if not because we ourselves are seeking to participate the Resurrection of the dead?) and see in the faces of everyone the Face of Christ, we are still missing the point.

In the area where I live, almost every church is proud to proclaim their inclusivity and diversity and how welcoming they are to “others.” To me, this sounds dangerously like the prayer of the Pharisee, relative to the Publican, in the parable Jesus tells us: “I (as part of the ‘us’ group) welcome and include you (as part of the ‘them’ group) into ‘our’ church!”

Inherent in this (probably well-meaning) invitation is the implicit assumption that—you are not like me, but I am being Jesus-like and am willing to include you into my group. Despite the particularities of what group it is that is seemingly being included, the statement is ripe with the division that is still being promoted. “There are those like us, and there are those who are not,” we seem to say.