Acts 10:34-36: Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.
Just going into the house of a Gentile crossed a taboo social boundary for Peter, a Jew. Yet, there he was in the house of Cornelius, making a statement about God’s acceptance of those from every nation. What changed Peter’s behavior? A thrice-repeated vision of “unclean animals” in a sheet that God commanded him to eat. After refusing to obey the command, God said, “Don’t call anything ‘impure’ that God has made ‘clean.’ The experience changed Peter’s life and opened him up to new relationships and a new understanding of God’s radical welcome. What social boundaries have shaped your relationships? Can you think of a time when you crossed a taboo boundary? What did you learn from the experience? You can read the entire story of Peter’s vision HERE.
Prayer: Lord, Jesus Christ, who reached across the ethnic boundaries between Samaritan, Roman and Jew who offered fresh sight to the blind and freedom to captives, help us to break down the barriers in our community, enable us to see the reality of racism and bigotry, and free us to challenge and uproot it from ourselves, our society and our world. –John Bucki, SJ
Tongue on Fire 