The art of tearing down walls or never building them.

Acts 10:21-35

         This passage once again touches on the fact that God's love is so overwhelming, so inclusive, that it has extended to the gentiles and by extension, all of humanity.  In fact, another reading for today (Matthew 28:16-20), also speaks of the boundless message of love that Jesus offered us saying go therefore and make disciples of all nations. What this got me think about was how we as humans restrict the message that God offers us.

          Everyone, including myself, finds ways or reasons why someone is not worthy. In the beginning of the church, they were gentiles. All we have to do for ourselves is see who "they' are today. What walls have we erected to restrict God's message of love and inclusiveness?  At one time it might have been that 'they' were black, 'they' were indigenous peoples, 'they' were women and 'they' were Asians whose religion was judged barbaric. These are all human judgements for sure. There is no doubt in my mind that we are more than willing to erect even more personal walls against people when we find some perceived character flaw in someone we know or become aware of some mistake a person has made.  Surely 'they' cannot be saved. We have all manner of man made "well reasoned" excuses for putting limits on God's saving grace.  I have no doubts that many feel that by embracing being gay I am no longer worth saving. Or perhaps put in a better way, I must be redeemed before I am worthy.

         There is a flip side to this coin which I think we quite often overlook.  The other side of the coin, if you will, is easy to miss when you are erecting walls against others. That's because you really don't know the hearts of who 'they' are. 

          The flip side of the coin calls us to  search and open our minds to the beauty in everyone without any walls. Seeing goodness in every one of God's creations, fostering a respect and a sense of wonder at the variety and beauty in all of God's creations. You may not understand it all, but God's love is open to all and is expressed by all. That last part is key. We need to look past differences, look past prejudices and misunderstandings and then we, hopefully, prayerfully, will be able to see why God loves every one of his creations.  The ultimate goal is to see how God's boundless love is expressed by everyone, not just the ones we may have thought were worthy.

          

²¹So Peter went down to the men and said, ‘I am the one you are looking for; what is the reason for your coming?’ ²²They answered, ‘Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man, who is well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and to hear what you have to say.’ ²³So Peter^* invited them in and gave them lodging.

The next day he got up and went with them, and some of the believers^* from Joppa accompanied him. ²⁴The following day they came to Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. ²⁵On Peter’s arrival Cornelius met him, and falling at his feet, worshipped him. ²⁶But Peter made him get up, saying, ‘Stand up; I am only a mortal.’ ²⁷And as he talked with him, he went in and found that many had assembled; ²⁸and he said to them, ‘You yourselves know that it is unlawful for a Jew to associate with or to visit a Gentile; but God has shown me that I should not call anyone profane or unclean. ²⁹So when I was sent for, I came without objection. Now may I ask why you sent for me?’

30 Cornelius replied, ‘Four days ago at this very hour, at three o’clock, I was praying in my house when suddenly a man in dazzling clothes stood before me. ³¹He said, “Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God. ³²Send therefore to Joppa and ask for Simon, who is called Peter; he is staying in the home of Simon, a tanner, by the sea.” ³³Therefore I sent for you immediately, and you have been kind enough to come. So now all of us are here in the presence of God to listen to all that the Lord has commanded you to say.’

34 Then Peter began to speak to them: ‘I truly understand that God shows no partiality, ³⁵but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.