Start:Stop-The visions of Peter and Cornelius

Wassily Kandinsky - Small Dream in Red (1925)

Good morning, Happy Easter and welcome to Start:Stop.  This reflection will last around ten minutes and you are free to come and go as your schedule dictates. We begin with a short Bible reading which can be found on page 138 of the New Testament.

Bible Reading - Acts 10.25-36

On Peter’s arrival Cornelius met him, and falling at his feet, worshiped him. But Peter made him get up, saying, “Stand up; I am only a mortal.” And as he talked with him, he went in and found that many had assembled; and 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. So when I was sent for, I came without objection. Now may I ask why you sent for me?”

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. He said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God. Send therefore to Joppa and ask for Simon, who is called Peter; he is staying in the home of Simon, a tanner, by the sea.’ Therefore 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.”

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

Reflection

The visions of Peter and Cornelius the centurion that brought about the meeting we have just heard and led to the baptism of Cornelius and his family, paved the way for the spread of Christianity to the Gentiles - to us.

Like another famous pair of visions we learn about earlier in Acts - that of Saul and Ananias - God inspires someone to do something they wouldn’t ordinarily do, the outcome of which is to welcome into the church, through baptism one who, at best, can be described as an outsider.

It was while staying in Joppa that Peter saw a vision of a sheet coming down from heaven carrying all manner of animals, reptiles and birds.  He then heard a voice saying “get up, kill and eat.” Three times he protested, saying that under Jewish law he could not eat impure things; but the voice told him that it is wrong to call impure anything God has made. Peter later came to realise that the vision was not about food at all, but the people he meets and associates with, telling Cornelius; “God has shown me that I should not call anyone profane or unclean.”

This is when the penny drops for Peter, who later convinces the others that it is God's will to welcome all into the church, no matter what rules and traditions influenced their lives before baptism. As the Lutheran theologian Reverend Gordon Lathrop has put it succinctly - draw a line that includes us and excludes many others, and Jesus Christ is always on the other side.

It is easy for us to roll our eyes at Peter and to scoff at how long it took him to understand the radical message of Jesus and the gospel, especially when we have the benefit of being able to turn back a few pages and remember that it was Peter himself who asked Jesus to explain what he meant when he said to the Pharisees that it is “not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles."

Instead of jumping to judgement, perhaps we should consider how radical Peter's response was; to marvel at the humility of a man who recognises that he had got it wrong, that God had got it right and changed his behaviour accordingly. This change in behaviour was not some minor aspect of day to day life that was easy to address on a whim, but a radical about-turn; a setting aside of years of teaching to take up the life of radical hospitality that Jesus exemplified - even when this meant welcoming an NCO in the Roman Army as an equal member of the church. Peter listened to the radical message of Jesus and instead of making excuses to justify his behaviour when it did not match his belief, he changed his behaviour.

But while marvelling at Peter’s response we should guard against thinking that a change in our behaviour is required before we are fully welcomed into the church. Is not the greater revelation that Jesus called and baptised Peter, the “rock,” long before his vision, with all his foibles – just as He welcomes each of us as we are, wherever we are and whatever we have done or not done?

Drawing on the Catholic tradition that St Peter was the first Pope, the priest and writer James Alison has said that there are many in the church, such as the LGBT community, who are still "waiting for Peter" - that is to say waiting for the leadership of the church to change its behaviour to match its belief. There were signs of Peter's humility last week at the Anglican Consultative Council meeting in Hong Kong. A motion by the Bishop of Oklahoma led to a heated debate about whether LGBT people "should be fully included" or "are fully welcomed" in the life of the Anglican Communion, and how such phrases would be interpreted around the world. The Archbishop of Canterbury is said to have helped broker agreement to a compromise wording put forward by the Bishop of Nairobi, which promises to consider all forms of discrimination including "those who have felt themselves marginalized with regard to their sexuality.” Accepting the amendment, the Bishop of Oklahoma and the Bishop of Nairobi were seen in a warm embrace.

Perhaps it is helpful for those who find the slow movement of the bishops frustrating to recall the pace of St Peter’s vision; to remember that it was the visions – and subsequent actions – of both Peter and Cornelius that led to Peter’s declaration of unity. To recognise that we are all made one through our baptism and are all on a journey to become more like the one we love. As Peter and Cornelius show us, it is not for us to dictate how long or in what direction that journey will take, but it is a journey best undertaken alongside others and led by God. Maybe it is also helpful to keep ourselves in check now and again and remember that we can be wrong; as Peter reminded us, we are "mortals" - even those, like him, who lead the church.

As the Bishops debating in Hong Kong demonstrate, we can all think of sources of disagreement between “us” and “them” – issues which appear to create divisions within our own families and with those around the world - perhaps questions of politics, race, gender equality or immigration. We all struggle to reconcile our thoughts and actions with our belief - but despite our repeated failings to do so, we are all welcomed into Christ's church, such is the radical gospel of Jesus. Even Peter, who had spent three years walking alongside Jesus, needed to listen and understand God's will to break down those barriers and accept that difference, or "otherness," as a gift. Neither the Bishops meeting in Hong Kong - or any of us - are any different.

Let us pray then that we, like Peter, hear God's word and act on it; each in our own way, according to His will; remembering always that the closer we come to each other, the closer we come to God. As the American writer Rachel Held Evans, who died on Saturday, has said;

"I'm ready to stop waging war and start washing feet."

Are you?

Prayers

The response to : though we are many, you have made us one is : together we praise you.

Though we are many, you have made us one;

together we praise you.

Loving God, you have made us in your image.

Each one of us is unique, with our own gospel to tell.

You have come to meet us as we journey along different paths,

Lord, your radical hospitality amazes and inspires us,

Accepting us through baptism for who we are, where we are and what we know.

Though we are many, you have made us one;

together we praise you.

Loving God, forgive us when we fail to see your image in each other and in the world around us,

when we give in to greed and indifference,

when we promote division in what we think or say or do;

for that look of disgust and revulsion instead of a look of love.

We know that when we draw lines that separate us from them, you are always on the other side.

As we are made in your image, help us to live in your image,

Though we are many, you have made us one;

together we praise you.

Loving God, we thank you for all that makes us unique,

For our gifts and talents,

the experiences that have shaped us and for the people we have shared them with.

We give thanks for the radical gospel of your son, Jesus Christ, for his unconditional love and for the mission he has given us.

For the rich heritage and traditions of your church and the world

Though we are many, you have made us one;

together we praise you.

Loving God, help us to listen for your word,

Enable us to grow in faith each day,

To share what you have done for us,

and to learn from what you do through others,

Guide us as we seek to build a world of justice, peace and love.

Though we are many, you have made us one;

together we praise you.

Blessing

The blessing of the Lord rest and remain upon all his people, in every land, of every tongue; the Lord meet in mercy all who seek him; the Lord comfort all who suffer and mourn; the Lord hasten his coming, and give us, his people, the blessing of peace.

Amen

(Bishop Handley Moule)

Links

Welby’s Lambeth Invite Apology Smooths the Way for ACC to Walk Together
How Evangelicals Won a Culture War and Lost A Generation – Rachel Held Evans