When I was first put on the deployment roster and arrived at the March BA, I gravitated toward a group of soldiers I didn't know--mostly from Ohio. Especially as a chaplain, there is something about not knowing some of your soldiers that gets under your skin.
But there is also a broader principle at stake when we think of the "outsider" who is unfamiliar to us. The principle goes something like this: A community's (or unit's) cohesion is maintained by the integrating those at the margins.
From the biblical viewpoint, this need is highlighted in the New Testament be references to "the body" (the church), of which Christ is the head. Every part of the body has a unique and essential function to be performed, and must be accorded the full dignity of that position. To use the language of the soldier's creed, "I will not leave a fallen comrade." Every part is vital.
Of course, from the biblical perspective, the value of each part of the body of believers is ultimately derived from the Head of the body, Jesus Christ. It is from Him and through Him and to Him that each part of that body is knitted together. And the unity that comes through faith in Christ is beyond comprehension, as Jesus draws people of every possible background to Himself and to one another. The most diverse group imaginable becomes the most unified, by grace through faith in Christ.
Back to the normal plane--what are you doing to make sure no one slips through the cracks?
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