Who Will We Be For?

Rev. Dr. Napoleon Harris, V

That, beloved, is the question before us-both as a nation and as the church, and it is one that begs to be answered. This question is not the proverbial inquiry as to whether or not we will stand for something, but rather: one of ontology- who will we be for? This probing inquiry of our time is as guiding as it is definitive in that how we answer it will determine the kind of people we become.

We are living in a time when the loudest voices in our nation operate from a theology and ontological disposition of scarcity and lack. The MAGA regime’s policies reveal a worldview rooted in fear that there isn’t enough healthcare to go around, so access must be slashed. Fear that migrants seeking refuge will somehow diminish what belongs to “real Americans,” so borders must be fortified and compassion must be rationed. The rallying cry of “America First” and “America for Americans” sounds patriotic on the surface, but beneath it lies a fraudulent theological principle: the belief that God’s provision is limited, that blessing is a zero-sum game, and that in order for some to have, others must have not. Undergirding all of this is the tacit idea that God is a limited supplier of sustenance and compassion- because God is somehow limited in imaginative capacity, logistical capacity and ultimately in compassionate capacity- unable to give everyone the love and care they need to thrive.

Sadly, the same ideology and limited, faux-theology of scarcity has infected the American church too. Far too many congregations exist only as holy huddles, preserving traditions only for the saints deemed “our people”, namely those born and raised within their hallowed walls, those who know the hymns and the protocols. Meanwhile, newcomers are subtly (or not so subtly) othered, treated as migrants unwanted-in the house of God. They are tolerated but not truly welcomed, invited to assimilate but not necessarily invited or duly initiated to belong- treated as secondary citizens in the Kingdom of God. Meaning their names may be on the church role- but they aren’t fully considered as true members of the church because they lack the history necessary for full acceptance. Much like our nation, that builds walls to “protect” our citizens from the “threat” of the stranger, many American churches have built walls of culture, language, and expectation that keep the communities where they are located at arm’s length. In each sad scenario, both our nation’s and our nation’s churches the same lie is to blame: the notion that there is not enough.

Fortunately, for us Scripture tells a radically different story. One that we can readily claim and use to cultivate a more fruitful way of being and viewing God. In Genesis and the subsequent sequel Exodus, the Priestly writer class gives us all the fodder we need to cultivate a robust theology of creation that remembers who God is: the Creator of all, the Supplier of all, the Sustainer of all, the Lord over all, and most critically- the Lover of all. God is not a tribal deity concerned only with the flourishing of the few. From the first book of the Torah (Genesis) to the last book of Christian Scripture (Revelation), we encounter a God invested in the flourishing of all people.

“The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it” (Psalm 24:1). God’s creative work did not stop at the borders of our nation or the walls of our sanctuary. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son” (John 3:16)- not just the citizens, not just the members, but the entire world. And in Christ’s Great Commission, Jesus sends us to “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19), with no exceptions, no hierarchies, no borders.

Paul declares in Galatians 3:28, “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” This is God’s vision: a beloved community where artificial divisions dissolve in the light of God’s all-encompassing love.

When we understand that God has created abundantly, provided generously, and loved extravagantly, the question “Who will we be for?” has only one faithful answer: we must be for all!

Beloved, please allow me to be clear, “the call to be for all” is not a sentimental platitude. It is a demanding, transformative commitment that reshapes how we live, both as a nation and as the body of Christ. As a nation, it means we must be for all- actively working for the common good- for what the Bible calls shalom (peace) of God through righteousness (God’s right-ordering of the world). This call-to-action means being for both: the citizen born with a silver spoon and the citizen born with no spoon in the house. We must be for the migrant who enters in desperation, fleeing unimaginable misery without documentation, and for the migrant who enters via plane with a visa for school or work. We must be for Democrats and Republicans, for liberals and conservatives, for Black, Brown, White, and everyone else. To be for all means recognizing the imago Dei (the image of God) in every person, and crafting policies and ideologies that honor that sacred worth.

The church, like our nation, has work to do; we must be for all too: for members on the cradle roll who know our traditions and identify with them, as well as new members who don’t know our traditions. We must be for the sister or brother tethered to what we have been, as well as for those who have no idea or care for what has been- who have not yet even joined our congregation, but who hope will! Being for all means refusing to create categories of “us” and “them” within the house of faith. It means remembering that “God does not show favoritism” (Acts 10:34), and neither should we.

At our community block party, I witnessed an incredible feat. I saw a glimpse of the Kingdom of God breaking through to us, in us. Music was playing, and at one moment, longtime Antioch members were dancing alongside newer members, neighbors from the community, babies as well as seniors. It was beautiful-moving. All found the rhythm. All were able to dance. The music was for all. That is what our nation and our nation’s churches must become cognizant of: we must aim to be curators of all-inclusive ideologies and experiences because God creatively loves all, died for all, and has concern for all because God made us all. And God has ordained that we be for all. As Peter proclaimed after his vision on the rooftop, “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right” (Acts 10:34-35).

Our dream statement calls us to be “a welcoming environment for all people to grow, serve, and belong.” But how do we move from aspiration to embodiment? Here are practical ways Antioch can live into this calling:

Our dream statement calls us to be “a welcoming environment for all people to grow, serve, and belong.” But how do we move from aspiration to embodiment? Antioch already excels at many forms of outreach ministry (feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, giving to the poor to name a few) but being “for all” requires us to also reimagine how we worship, communicate, socialize, and invite others into service. Here are a few practical ways Antioch can live into this calling:

1. Embrace the McDonald’s Menu Principle in Worship: Have you ever noticed that McDonald’s never abandons their origins or original premise? They began in the 1940s with a simple menu of burger, fries, shakes, and cola- but they continually add new menu items that are both familiar and fresh. The Big Mac and Quarter Pounder are both burgers; nuggets and strips are variations on the same idea; the Filet-O-Fish is a completely different dietary offering. Similarly, we must keep our core menu offerings of the gospel of Jesus, Holy Scripture, and praise/worship, all while creating new expressions that speak to younger generations and newcomers. This means leaning on our 130+ year expertise and spiritual lineage of adapting, incorporating contemporary music alongside traditional hymns, using sermon illustrations that reference what modern culture knows and loves, just as Jesus referenced what His culture knew (farmers, fishermen, and wedding banquets Matthew 13:1-23), and Paul quoted Greek poets to reach Athenians (Acts 17:28). We must do the same. Our sermons, announcements, and teaching should draw from the fascinations of modern pop culture (film, music, sports, social media, books, headlines) not to be trendy, but to be understood. As Paul said, “I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some” (1 Corinthians 9:22). By doing so, we honor our spiritual and historical foundations while making room at the table for new tastes.

2. Modernize Our Branding and Communication: Our message is timeless, but our methods must be timely. By continuing to update our website, supporting our church’s social media presence (liking and sharing our content introduces what we’re doing and who we are to the other people in your world), and continuing to adapt our worship facility to reflect Christ’s warmth, accessibility, and relevance to those who gather here we continue to broadcast the love of God. As we continue to use (and even learn) language and imagery that invites rather than excludes, that communicates “you belong here” before someone ever walks through our doors- we will reflect a commitment to be for all.

3. Reimagine Socialization for All Generations: As our respective TOWER ministries prepare for the upcoming year- let’s expand on our fellowship. I want to encourage every ministry and group to think outside of the box- create fellowship opportunities that aren’t just potlucks in the church fellowship hall. We are creative- creative enough to host game nights, coffee meetups, outdoor activities- like the Walking ministry, and intergenerational gatherings that appeal to different ages and interests. Let’s let our social spaces reflect the diversity we celebrate. Remember that breaking bread together was central to the early church (Acts 2:46) but the setting and style can vary.

4. Open Serving Opportunities to All: We already excel at outreach, but let’s expand who gets to participate in that excellence. All of us have the responsibility to invite new members, long-time members who have never served, and even community members who themselves need to serve into our ministries. Serving is not just about meeting needs, it’s also about building community and allowing everyone to experience the joy of being used by God. Remember scripture “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms” (1 Peter 4:10). Let’s create accessible entry points for service so that everyone from the teenager to the senior, from the cradle-roll member to the first-time visitor can find their place in God’s mission.

The Spirit of the Lord is upon us, calling us to “proclaim good news to the poor… to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:18-19). This is not good news for some. It is good news for all. Who will we be for? The only faithful answer is: All. Because that is who God is for. And we are called to be nothing less than reflections of God’s boundless, boundary-breaking love.