Eastertide

April 22, 2019

Scripture Reading: Acts 5:27-32

When they had brought them, they had them stand before the council. The high priest questioned them, saying, ‘We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you are determined to bring this man’s blood on us.’ But Peter and the apostles answered, ‘We must obey God rather than any human authority. The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus, whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, so that he might give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.’

Where do we draw the line? Where do we say, ‘We must obey God rather than any human authority? I was in the state capitol recently attending a faith-based workshop on doing justice in the civic community, learning things like the current status of criminal justice reform, education, health care reform, and how to talk to our legislators about our positions. This group thinks our faith should inform our stances regarding state laws and we have a right to share our stances.

Our closing speaker was drowned out by the chanting of another group two floors down, also faith-based, who were taking the stance that their belief system should be incorporated into state law and be applied to everyone regardless of their faiths or if they have no faith at all.

Acts informs us well that we must obey God rather than any human authority, it does not say we are to force others to obey God and frankly, I think God prefers to be followed by people who choose to follow and love God.  We, indeed, as followers of Christ are called to take the good news of God’s love to the ends of the earth. We are never charged with forcing it on anyone. Obviously from the scenario described above followers of Christ themselves are not in agreement on many issues.

Yet God also calls us to oneness. How do we get to oneness from such divisiveness? It is imperative that all of Christ followers seek together those things upon which we can agree and find common ground for the Common Good.

Prayer: Lord of Might and Miracles, we so desperately need your loving arms to reach around all your followers and help use find and pursue those bits and pieces of common ground. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.