Best not to throw rocks

And the voice came to him again a second time, What God has cleansed and pronounced clean, do not you defile and profane by regarding and calling common and unhallowed or unclean. Acts 10:15

Peter was earnestly revolving the vision in his mind and meditating on it. Acts 10:19

Cornelius, a centurion who is just and upright and in right standing with God, being God-fearing and obedient... Acts 10:22

And Peter opened his mouth and said: Most certainly and thoroughly I now perceive and understand that God shows no partiality and is no respecter of persons, but in every nation he who venerates and has a reverential fear for God, treating Him with worshipful obedience and living uprightly, is acceptable to Him and sure of being received and welcomed by Him. You know the contents of the message which He sent to Israel, announcing the good news of peace by Jesus Christ, Who is Lord of all—Acts 10:34-36

To Him all the prophets testify that everyone who believes in Him [who adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Him, giving himself up to Him] receives forgiveness of sins through His name. Acts 10:43

I am spending a lot of time these days revolving visions and verses in my mind and meditating on them. This is a period of paradigm shifts just as Peter underwent. Just a few days earlier, Peter, full of boldness and the Holy Spirit, testified that Jesus had come to save the Israelites only. And maybe the Samaritans. This total lack of understanding was after spending three years under Jesus' teaching and ministry, and listening to statements such as, "And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” This is a clear example that every one of us, even Peter the Rock, see but as through a glass darkly.

I was having a restless night last night, so I decided to I read 1 Peter through Jude, in one fell swoop, to try and get a general sweep of these small letters rather than always landing on a few familiar and beloved verses.  Quite honestly, they didn't seem to fit together so smoothly. And reading commentaries only muddied the water. All of these perfectly sincere and reasonable and apparently godly people who revered the Scriptures were saying pretty much the opposite things as they worked their way through the Greek and Hebrew and historical contexts. It was all pretty discouraging.

Except when they got to John. He made darn sure that the would be no confusion because he said what was important over and over again. We love because He first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen? And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.

Thus we are not to judge lest we be judged; to show the same mercy that we have received; to strive for unity, and as far as I am able to be at peace with all men. And above all, to love one another. We are but clay vessels and don't do so well with rocks flying about especially because our vision is not yet clear.

But in this will I choose to trust:  Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see Him as He is.

I thank God I'm free at last
Me and my Jesus going to meet and talk
I thank God I'm free at last

hopping right off of the flannel graph

Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian Cohort, a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms generously to the people, and prayed continually to God. About the ninth hour of the day, he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God come in and say to him, “Cornelius.” And he stared at him in terror and said, “What is it, Lord?” And he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God.

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But Peter said, “By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.”

And the voice came to him again a second time,“What God has made clean, do not call common.”This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven.

So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears Him and does what is right is acceptable to Him. Acts 10

It never ceases to amaze me, these childhood Sunday School stories that I have heard and seen illustrated by so many flannel graph paper cut-outs.  And now the words are the same, but my heart is different.  

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

And it is clear that prayers and alms can rise as a sweet offering to the LORD God, and it’s not so much about making sure that every Law is obeyed since childhood.  In fact, God was pretty clear on this: Stop bringing me your meaningless gifts; the incense of your offerings disgusts me! As for your celebrations of the new moon and the Sabbath and your special days for fasting--they are all sinful and false. I want no more of your pious meetings.

And what does He call for instead: Stop doing wrong, learn to do right.  But His right is not what food we eat or how we wash. Lest we be confused, The LORD God goes on to specifically define right:Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.

I too am weary of pious meetings.  It is time for action.