It would be possible to rip that strip down for an inlay of about a quarter inch thick. A couple extra steps and some precision cutting required.
I wondered about the end grain glue up too.
However, there are methods for getting a good end grain glue line without resorting to epoxies.
Here is an end grain strength test I found somewhere on the web
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...32076#poststop