This Sunday at Peace

A Note from Eric

Scripture: Acts 10

The past few years I’ve spent most of my “Bible time” in the gospels.  There was a season, though, when I was really into Acts.  Well, honestly, mostly just Acts 2 where we find the story of Pentecost - a powerful picture of the Spirit of God breaking through, skirting around, vaulting over, digging underneath all the walls we build. 

Then, at the end of the chapter comes that inspiring snapshot of the early church devoting themselves to communal intimacy.  The Resurrected Jesus invites a resurrected community - arm in arm at public worship.  Gathered in each other's homes.  Breaking bread around common tables.  Nurturing and learning in cadence.  Serving side by side.  Encircled in prayer.  Sharing their stuff and their money - a beautiful snap shot of equality.

What a beautiful ideal!  Historically Acts 2 has birthed new communities, refreshed stale institutions or offered alternatives to co-opted ones. 

Then there is the rest of the story.  The rough and tumble road that gets them there is full of tensions, conflict, unconscious (and conscious) biases, negotiations.  The encounter between Peter and Cornelius is one of those episodes that invites us to take the picture of ideal “sharing all things in common” and hold it before us as we bump up against the real challenges of including others.  It reminds us that the story is not finished, and that’s okay.  We make the road by walking.

Eric