Fearing the Unholy

Hungry and very ready for lunch, yet knowing it was time to pray, Peter went up to the housetop to do so.  Being a devout Jew, he continued his habit of prayer three times daily, even though he now pursued his faith by being a follower of Jesus, his risen Lord.  He fell into a strange dream, one in which the sky opened and a great sheet unrolled before him.  Creatures of all kinds,animals,reptiles, and birds appeared upon this backdrop. Then to his horror, a voice told Peter, "Get up, kill and eat!"  Peter responds "No way Lord! I have never eaten anything unholy or unclean!"  Don't you know Lord, I am a good Jew?  But the voice gave a puzzling answer, "What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy,"(Acts 10:15).  As if once was not enough, this dream repeated itself three times, and Peter awoke perplexed, and probably without his appetite. . . 

Revival is coming to our church or at least three special services are being held for such.  Our pastor announced that revival was needed to help God's church go "on the offensive, as the church has lost its power in always having to defend."  The greatest attack for the church he said emphatically, was "that we have a President who has declared that transgendered people can use the bathroom of their choice." I sat in my chair, writing in my notes, "thank you Lord that you love all people and those so different from us, even those who question their gender. . . why does the church want to always police society?"  I couldn't help but ponder my earlier study of God's word, what would Peter say?

God, for reasons unknown to me, granted me the privilege of living in a country where there has been liberty for choices.  I had the ability to choose my school, my education, where I want to live, what I want to eat, how I want to dress, whom I want to associate with, and how I want to worship or even if I want to worship.  I have not looked to the government to provide for me a "Christian utopia or bubble." My world has changed, I no longer live in a culture in which we are of the same race, ethnic background, political background, sexual orientation or religious affiliation. As a Nurse practitioner, I treat each person as just that, a living being, created in God's image.

Sitting in church, still mulling over the comments of my pastor, I wrote "sometimes, Lord, I feel I'm so out of step with main stream Christianity, am I Lord?"  Revival begins with a humble, broken heart, one that acknowledges that we may be wrong, and probably, in fact are dead wrong.  God's grace isn't demonstrated by demanding our rights, forcing our agenda, or backing a political candidate who demeans the vulnerable and different.  If I recall, the Jesus way was marked with bearing your cross, giving up your way, and washing the dirty feet of the very one who betrayed you. . . 

The Gentiles, the non Jews, were considered godless, rejected by God and given over to every form of uncleanness and depravity.  Most Jews regarded them as beyond hope and destined for hell. (See New International Biblical Commentary, Acts: Williams, David, J., 2002)  Essentially, they were viewed as dogs and savages.  Well, that would include me because I am not Jewish, and yet, God has never viewed me in that way.  I do not understand why He allows people to be His instrument of His saving gospel, because humanly we are prone to distort truth and mess it up.  

I wonder if Peter would have had that dream in modern times, if it would have displayed images of those we deem distasteful, like the transgendered, the same sex orientated, the Muslim, the terrorist, the homeless, the one with darker skin and hair, the one who still doesn't speak English, the Redneck, etc.  But even so, I think the voice would be the same, "what God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy," (Acts 10:15)

Will I be a Peter and go to the Gentile home of Cornelius?  As he reflected on his dream, God's Spirit reassured him, ". . . go downstairs and accompany them (the messengers of Cornelius) without misgivings; for I have sent them Myself," (Acts 10:20).  There is no place for fear when I follow in the Jesus way.  I am to go without misgivings, the choice is mine to make. Will I be a "bull in a china cabinet" fortifying my rightful position in a pluralistic world?  Or will I be that broken vessel pouring out God's love to each and every thirsty soul?

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life."

(John 3:16)