Psalm 87
I once sat in a church where, during the announcements, the minister paused and said, “If no one has told you this week that you belong—let me be the first.”
It was such a simple phrase, but it caught me off guard. Something in me needed to hear it.
Psalm 87 paints a picture of a place where that kind of belonging is declared over people from all sorts of places, some of whom you’d least expect. Rahab, Babylon, Philistia, these weren’t friendly neighbours. And yet, the psalm says that God embraces them all as children with 5 simple words: “This one was born here.”
Not “this one was allowed to visit,” or “this one made the cut,” but born here. It’s a powerful image, like a passport stamped with grace.
There’s something beautiful in imagining God scribbling names into the book of belonging – names others might have crossed out.
It makes me wonder:
- Have I ever written someone off too quickly?
- Have I ever assumed someone didn’t quite “belong” in the circle of faith or community?
- And on the flip side, when have I been surprised by someone else’s welcome?
Psalm 87 doesn’t give us instructions or rules. It just offers this bold vision: that God is gathering people from everywhere. That our assumptions about who belongs and who doesn’t might need to stretch a little.
Maybe today is a good day to notice the walls we’ve built – or the ones we’ve walked into. And maybe it’s a good day to remember that God’s city has wide gates.
Let’s pray:
God of wide gates and open arms, thank you for the grace that welcomes us in, even when we feel on the outside. Help us to see others through your eyes – as beloved, as belonging, as born into your heart. Stretch our vision, widen our welcome, and make us builders of your city of love. AMEN
