Those at the Edge Hold the Secret

"Those at the edge, ironically, always hold the secret for the conversion of every age and culture. They always hold the projected and denied parts of our soul, the parts of ourselves that we are ashamed of, that we hate and deny, that we're afraid of in ourselves. Only as the People of God receive the stranger and the leper, those who don't play our game, do we discover not only the hidden and hated parts of our own souls, but the Lord Jesus himself. That's how we say, 'Come, Lord Jesus.' In letting go, we make room for the Other. The church is always converted when the outcasts are reinvited into the temple."

from Preparing for Christmas with Richard Rohr
http://www.cacradicalgrace.org/