"... you are my disciples, if you love one another."
Did you know this week 23rd November to 1st December is Social Inclusion Week? It takes many forms. This year, there are many challenges in our society and around the world to welcome diversity and to respect people who are different from us. Instead of seeing different beliefs, origins, and customs as a blessing and counting our differences as something that adds to each of us, there are many who would press us to see them as enemies.
Where people’s relationships have been bruised by experiences of rejection, uncertainty, and fear, they need encouragement to re-open and find their place in society. Social inclusion depends on social friendships – readiness of people to welcome and include others. This means we have to look at people and see beyond labels so that we might see them as people and that we might respond to their needs.
As Catholics we are fortunate to hear Pope Francis speak so often in such moving and down to earth words of the preconsciousness of each human being. We are even more fortunate to see how in his travels he shows respect and compassion by visiting prisoners, travelling to meet refugees, and celebrating with minority groups. He helps us to see that ultimately inclusiveness is not about lofty ideas but about simple human gestures of friendship.