In God's eyes there is no ‘other' — that is, no one is to be excluded or marginalized. All are equal; all are loved. Isaiah stressed the importance of maintaining justice and went on to say that even righteous foreigners were welcome to serve God. It was the heart that mattered, not the label that someone wore.

This was evident in Paul's explanation of Israel's refusal to accept Jesus — in his eyes, this was God's doing so that the message would also reach the Gentiles. They too would be included in God's plan of salvation. No one would be left behind.

The Canaanite woman had to overcome many barriers and obstacles to approach Jesus. The Canaanites were the traditional enemies of the early Israelites, so she would not have been held in high regard. She was a pagan, and as a woman her culture dictated that she should not approach a male in public. Her desperation and love for her ailing daughter drove her onward. She ignored the initial refusal and cold response that she received. She even had a clever response for Jesus that won his approval. Her faith, persistence, and refusal to take ‘no' for an answer were admirable — we should imitate them. More than that, it shows that God is impartial and open to all. Who do we exclude or see as the ‘other?' Perhaps we can learn to see them in a new way.