Our world is full of examples of how our interactions with one another have become transactional. From algorithms that identify and commoditize our likes and dislikes on Social Media to organizations that would weaponize our fears and anxieties to enhance their own power and privilege, we are being bought and sold. In this reality we are engaging with one another with an eye to what someone else might be able to do with us. The outcome of this pattern is ultimately dehumanizing. It is increasingly difficult to hold on to and value each other’s humanity when we are constantly reduced to a commodity.

The community of faith has always pushed back against these efforts. People who seek to accumulate and hold power over others have engaged in this pattern. In our text from Luke’s Gospel, Jesus makes clear that the goal of building a beloved community, where we make space especially for people at the margins, will always stand in opposition to any effort to rob someone of their humanity.