“The doors of the church are open.”  This reminder needs to scroll below news reports of border walls constructed to protect against the “alien invasion” of our neighbor.  Because there are no illegal human beings, no one smuggled from the mind of God to earth and  our humanity requires no paperwork.  Because “the earth is the Lord’s”—not America’s (Psalm 24.1).

“The doors of the church are open.”  This is the invitation that Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and others must be given when the hurricane leaves and “the storms of life keep raging,” when there is no clean water or electricity weeks after and the current president gives himself a ten out of ten on recovery efforts.  But, this is not a beauty pageant and incompetence is not attractive.

“The doors of the church are open.”  This is the good news that needs to break in, that needs to interrupt our regularly scheduled animosities and divisions, our prejudices that parade as nationalistic pride, our competing expressions of patriotism.

“The doors of the church are open”—not for business but to be a blessing.  Because the Church does not offer paid programming, weekly infomercials for the kingdom of heaven: “Get your manna today!”  Because despite our proclamations, God is not privately owned by one culture, country or continent.  The kingdom of God is not for sale or on a ballot, for that matter.

“The doors of the church are open.”  But, is anyone home?  Who is answering for the church in North America?  This is the question being asked of many persons who stand outside of its doors.  Seeking a buffer from the social ills of our society, a counter- narrative and alternative community, who will answer their appeal?

While the world seems to be collapsing in on itself and every day we pick up pieces of a fallen sky, “the doors of the church are open.”  And people don’t need to run into another wall or be told how good we are or what we are proud of or offered the latest God gimmick.  They want to know if anyone is home, if God is home.  Can you be of service?  Amen.