Other people
Peter kept on talking to Cornelius as he went into the house, where he found many people gathered. He said to them, ‘You yourselves know very well that a Jew is not allowed by his religion to visit or associate with Gentiles. But God has shown me that I must not consider any person ritually unclean or
defiled.’ (verses 27,28)
Read Acts 10:17-33
Hell, somebody once said, is other people. Have you ever considered how much better our society would be if we didn’t have to put up with dole bludgers, malingerers, whingers, incompetents, shysters, no-gooders? It is so tempting to think in these ways, to pigeonhole people as worthless and treat them accordingly.
Through the ages people have always tended to discriminate against others on the basis of race, religion, class, education, gender and nationality. The overwhelming message from the New Testament is that God doesn’t want it like that. Once you get to know Jesus you no longer have a problem with forming relationships with others. Peter, a traditional Jew, brought up with all the Jewish rituals and beliefs about what was unclean and defiled, had to learn that being a follower of Christ was open to everyone, that God’s message of forgiveness and reconciliation was for both Jew and Gentile.
As a Christian I know that God loves everyone, and it is my privilege to share that with other people.
Dear God, thank you for breaking down the barriers between people and for offering membership in your family to everyone. Amen.
by Richard Hauser, in ‘Guidance for each Day’ (LCA, Openbook, 2002)
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