Matthew 7:7-8 (NIV)
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
Devotion
My life has been a labyrinth of open doors. Yes, there have been twists and turns—unexpected moves, lost jobs, and identity struggles—but I was never met with a locked door. I never even had to knock. I was born to white, wealthy, and well-educated parents. I am able-bodied and speak fluent English. I’m also privileged to be Christian, not because we are somehow superior to people with other beliefs, but because the church holds power as an institution. I benefit from that power when I don’t have school on Christmas, when I wear a cross necklace without worrying that I’ll be harassed, or when I’m embraced by a stable Christian community willing to educate and support me.
None of these privileges come from being a good Christian. Like I said, I’ve spent the past twenty years strolling through open doors. So, the question that comes to my mind when I read this passage is not how I can open doors for myself, but how I can open doors for others. As a Christian community, we are the keepers of a towering door with iron handles and probably one of those golden knockers that looks like a lion head. To open that door is not to usher others inside so they can be saved by our righteousness, but rather to share precious resources and universal teachings. Perhaps, in this passage, Jesus urges us not just to ask, but to open.
Prayer
Dear God, thank you for the privilege we hold as members of a Christian community. Help us to use that privilege to open doors for others.
Abby Comey