Why marginalized communities?
In last week’s initial installment of the series, “Why does Mission Alive focus on marginalized communities?” (read the article here) we answered this question with examples from Jesus’ life and ministry. This week we dive into how serving those most vulnerable is the perfect expression of living out our faith.
2. It is the perfect expression of our Christian faith.
Not only did Jesus himself demonstrate concern for the marginalized, those considered inferior or insignificant, but the early Christians followed His lead and continued to pay particular attention to those who were trivialized around them. The book of Acts shows how the early church managed care for widows, including Greek widows who were being discriminated against by the Jewish church leaders. It also narrates an array of people welcomed into the Christian faith from Africa, Europe, and Asia. Poor people are cared for. Disabled people are either healed or provided for and servants rub shoulders with community leaders in the Christian faith. It also bears noting that in the later first century through the third century, Christians expressed their faith in Jesus by standing up for all manner of marginalized people such as the sick, the dying, prisoners, infants, laborers, and slaves.
It would not be a stretch to suggest that the rapid growth of Christianity in the first three centuries was due, at least in part, to the way Christians cared for the marginalized.