Crafting Circles Not Cliques

Todd Foreman

My West Point classmate Todd Foreman is the most generous person I know in helping those around him, whether they be friends, coworkers, family, or those who are underprivileged, disabled, neglected, or hurting. Todd has a soft spot in his heart that is bigger than the state of Texas, where he resides. Sometimes, to his detriment, he puts the needs of others before his own needs in keeping with the Apostle Paul’s admonition, “Do nothing out of rivalry or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. Everyone should look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3,4). Todd is a make-the-circle-bigger kind of leader.

​Meditation
Mark 3:33-35--He replied to them, “Who are My mother and My brothers?”  And looking about at those who were sitting in a circle around Him, He said, “Here are My mother and My brothers!  Whoever does the will of God is My brother and sister and mother.”
             
Thomas McMillan shared in an Iron Sharpens Iron Men’s Conference that as Jesus followers, we ought to craft circles, not cliques. Healthy circles expand and grow stronger. They represent caring, inclusive communities with shared vision and purpose.
           
Cliques, in contrast, are small and exclusive. Their members share interests and events but grow weaker when expanded.  Cliques come across as judgmental, unloving, and harsh, even to those within who get out of line. Think of an overly zealous, uncaring Homeowners Association (HOA) or a high school group of friends that torment those they look down upon.

Is it profound that Jesus’ audience sat around him in a circle? His mother and brothers were concerned about His interactions with those surrounding Him. They were aware that His words and activities increasingly agitated the religious leaders, and they were probably concerned about His safety. But Jesus was about crafting circles, not cliques. He was not being disrespectful to His mother and brothers. He was making a point. He came to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10), and that, by its very mission, meant outreach and expansion. We, the Church, are supposed to imitate the Messiah (1 Corinthians 11:1).

When the church makes unwelcome those with differing political views, socioeconomic status, race, gender, age, appearance, etc., it acts as a clique and not a circle. This does not mean that we condone or make exceptions to sin.  What God calls in the Bible evil is not meant to be rationalized, excused, or embraced, otherwise, we become disobedient. We lose our ability to be salt and light.  But we are always to love the sinner (we are all sinners). Therefore, love is the key ingredient to crafting circles and reflects God’s intent, as expressed in John 3:16, to provide a way to welcome us into His everlasting home.
 
Inspiration
“Circles create soothing space, where even reticent people can realize that their voice is welcome.”—Margaret J. Wheatley
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©2025 Daniel York  ARR.  Reveration is the weekly devotional ministry of First Cause.  To receive these devotionals, go to www.firstcause.org and click the “Click here to receive weekly devotionals” box.  Unlimited permission to copy this devotional without altering text or profiteering is allowed, subject to the inclusion of this copyright notice.     
 
Ecclesiastes 12:10-The Teacher sought to find delightful sayings and to accurately write words of truth.  (Holman CSB)