by Unvirtuous Abbey
New Testament Reading: Acts 10:34-43
For Sunday, April 9, 2012: Year B – Easter Sunday
Graffiti has existed since ancient times. Though there are many valid arguments against it, at its best, graffiti is an expression of self that creates a dialogue with the world through words or images that provoke a response. It’s a dialogue used by people within a subculture in which a statement is made which waits for a response.
Respond
A year ago, the side of a downtown historic church in Halifax, Nova Scotia was spray-painted with the words, “God is dead” in large black letters. The people of the church had two options: have the side of the building cleaned or respond.
The minister chose to respond. Around the words “God is dead,” she had written: “Not so fast. Happy Easter.” Great words to see written on the walls of the house of God.
Difficult Conversations
The setting for Acts 10:34-43 is the house of Cornelius.
Peter and Cornelius, a Centurion with the occupying force in Palestine, are having a conversation in a way that was not permitted because it was against Jewish law for a Jew to visit or associate with a Gentile.
Cornelius believed in God and he had a vision. He asked Peter to come and talk. From a faith perspective, it must have been difficult for Cornelius as a Centurion to reconcile the soldier and the soul within him.
Rise Above Religion
Gandhi referred to Jesus as “the most active resister known to history – this is non-violence par excellence.” The God Peter speaks of is the one who rises above religion and encourages relationship. Among a plurality of values, it is the awe of God that is paramount.
What’s most important, says Peter, is that our love of God is what is accepted by God, not our division through faith practices or nationality. Yet, we seem to encourage those things in church communities. All too often, our gatherings aren’t nearly as diverse as Jesus has called us to be within his ministry. Faith isn’t about “us;" it’s about the ones Jesus tried to show us. It's about having subcultural dialogues with people and ideas beyond our walls.
Our Whole Household
If Jesus came back today, the first place he would be fired from is a church. Recently, I attended an event that said that if the church was to survive it needs to be about three things: economics, ecology, and ecumenism.
Mike Ellerbrock, of Virginia Tech, says that these three disciplines appear as philosophical enemies yet have roots in the ancient Greek notion of “household.” He writes, “If we are to integrate the best insights each discipline has to offer about life on earth, then recovery of the notion of a household may serve as a common metaphor for fruitful conversation.” After all, healthy households have the capacity for all manner of difficult, but enlivening, conversations.
The Hardest Question
How can the resurrection be found in the diversity of people and ideas?
