21st June 2026 

All are welcome... aren't they? (2)
Walking Towards Difference

Tucked away towards the end of the book of Joshua is a story which gives a fascinating insight into the challenge of a young nation learning to live well with one another, to honour that which they share and to embrace their differences. In summary, although I recommend that you read the story in full (Joshua 22:10-end), the Israelites have taken possession of the land God promised them and begun to settle in their territories. Previously, the tribes of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh had requested to Moses that they stay in the land on the other side of the Jordan. Moses had granted their request, provided that they crossed and fought with the other Israelites to take possession of the land. Now they are returning home, to the other side of the Jordan. The land has peace - but, rumours soon reach the ears of the other tribes that the Reubenites, Gadites, and Manessites have built an altar.

The people are horrified. Have these tribes so quickly deserted the Lord for other gods? What kind of disaster might these foreign gods bring into the new land of Israel? And so, the "whole assembly of Israel" musters for war in the border town of Shiloh. Disaster is averted, however, by the actions of one man, the priest Phinehas. Phinehas is sent as an envoy to the three tribes, to find out what is going on. The Reubenites, Gadites and Manessites are able to explain that the altar is not for the worship of other gods. It's a sign, a witness to the rest of Israel that they too belong to the Lord. It's a concrete symbol for their children and grandchildren to refer back to, so that the rest of Israel can't treat them as outsiders, so that they can't say "you have no share in the Lord" (v27).

This is a fascinating story for many reasons, which resonates across many current national and international situations, as well as for the church. It demonstrates a minority within the larger group seeking to establish both their own distinct identity and their belonging to the whole. Why didn't they just explain to the rest of Israel what they planned to do? Maybe they thought it was obvious; they assumed others would understand. Maybe they feared that the others would mock them, or belittle their concerns - "Of course you're one of us; don't be ridiculous!" Maybe they suspected that the majority group would give superficial blessing to the project but find ways to undermine and subvert it so that it never actually came to pass. And what of the majority of Israel? Why were they so quick to muster for war? Why is it often so much easier to suspect the worst motives in people who behave in unexpected ways, rather than to seek to understand them?

In all this, the wisdom of Phinehas stands out. Emotions are febrile; the stakes are high. So soon after settling in the land, are the people of Israel really going to fight one another? Phinehas goes to the three tribes and models wisdom, listening and openness to change. He hears their explanation, is satisfied, and returns to communicate the truth of what is really going on to the people. The situation de-escalates and the story ends not in war but in worship.

It's all too easy for all of us to jump to conclusions about what other people may be thinking, saying or doing. In our church life, as we seek to grow as an increasingly intergenerational and intercultural community of faith, we can only expect there to be more rather than fewer moments where we misunderstand and misinterpret one another. Instead of jumping to conclusions and mustering (hopefully metaphorically!) for war, how can each of us imitate Phinehas in walking towards the other, listening, seeking truth and communicating that to others?