Francis Grimké thundered against a church that had lost her way. The year was 1898, and the pastor called his church to repent of its hypocrisy. He said:
The pulpit should be a tower of strength to every weak cause. Women should hasten to church, saying—Our cause will be upheld there. Homeless little children should speed to the sanctuary, saying—We will be welcomed there. Slaves running away should open the church door with certainty of hospitality. [1]
Grimké’s point is simple: society’s lowly should find solace in the church.
Is this true in your own life? Is this true in your church? Do you associate with the lowly?
WHO ARE THE LOWLY?
“Lowly,” for the purpose of this article, refers to societal outcasts. The lowly are those upon whom society frowns. In-groups and out-groups are nothing new. By the time a child arrives in middle school, she discovers an entire caste system. From the schools to the streets, from the backrooms to the board rooms, from the neighborhoods to the nations: you are either in or out.
Outcasts change according to our time and place. In Jesus’ day, there were a number of outcasts with whom he boldly associated:
Ethnic Outcasts: Jesus speaks of a good Samaritan and shows kindness
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