Love spreads out - Easter 5

John 13: 31 - 35
Acts 11: 1-18

“Like a mighty tortoise
Moves the Church of God;
Brothers we are treading
Where we’ve always trod;
We are all divided,
Many bodies we;
Very strong on doctrine,
Weak on charity."

And uncomfortably, that parody of “Onward Christian Soldiers” is precisely how some people see the church of Christ. For too much of our history would seem to be a pale reflection of Christ. Too often the church has been divided - in my training in Cambridge I would pass on my way to lectures, the square where people were burnt in the sixteenth century for having an understanding of Christianity contrary to that of the prevailing religious authorities. And of course, the capacity of Christians to split and even to dechurch each other over some difference or other is a recurrent theme in our history. And of course if we treat each other badly, what is the chance of our treating others who in some way are different than us well?

And yet this temptation to exclude is challenged by our Scripture Readings this morning.

Let us first for a moment look at our reading from the Acts of the Apostles. We know that the early church had its stresses - after all the Apostle Paul spent a lot of time being angry. And no row was bigger than the ongoing row as to whether non Jews had to enter into a Jewish way of life in order to become real Christians. There were many in the church based in Jerusalem who thought they should do so and certainly Peter was one who thought this. Paul, on the other hand felt differently. His emphasis was on taking the Gospel to non Jews and in his letter to the Galatians he tells of a row with Peter over just this matter. Indeed, by the end of the letter, he completely loses it and suggests that it would be best if such Judaisers disembowelled themselves - the sort of language which makes our modern elections appear disappointingly tame.

And yet, we find Peter changing his understanding. Stood before the hostile church in Jerusalem, he recounts the events which brought about what might be seen as a second conversion experience in him. A conversion experience that led him to the home of a Roman centurion named Cornelius where he moves beyond a kosher lifestyle into sharing at the table of one whom previously he would have seen as ritually unclean.

Not that he had found it easy. By his own account he had to hear the command of God on three occasions before responding positively. Oh yes, even in those days when we imagine great things happening all the time, the followers of Christ could be like a tortoise. Even then, tradition and dogma could get in the way of seeing all people as equally precious in God’s sight. Just as still happens, people then could interpret the messages of God in a way that is a barrier to unconditional love and acceptance.
It is tempting to imagine Peter in this story as betraying something of the nervous uncertainty of Coronation Street’s Mavis Riley. But it doesn’t continue like that. For as Peter speaks to this non Jewish household, he becomes as much transformed as they are. His listeners receive the good news of salvation but more than that, they receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Listen to Peter’s words;

“The Holy Spirit fell upon them just as it had upon us at the beginning.”

In a way, we are seeing a Gentile Pentecost which is much like the Jewish Pentecost that we will be celebrating in three weeks time. And with this Gentile Pentecost comes a message that God has no partiality. God is for all peoples. And just as that ancient story of the Tower of Babel speaks of human ambition creating divisions, now the work of God’s Spirit breaks down the great walls that we have so often erected as barriers between peoples. For all peoples regardless of race, nationality, religion, sexuality, class or any other of the means by which we so often exercise judgement, are absolutely precious in the eyes of God. And that realisation which changed Peter, continues to challenge and change us today. Indeed, perhaps, here is a reminder that having accepted Christ, we have within us a need to go on getting converted time and time again that we might see the world more and more in a way that is in alignment with the love of Christ. And in that, we are a little like John Newton who in this 200th Anniversary Year from the abolition of the slave trade is especially in our minds. For after his conversion in a great storm, it would take him years to learn how properly to regard both women and Africans. Only through a process of continuous conversions would the blaspheming violent slaver become the saintly vicar of Olney who finally worked against the very wrongs that he had been complicit in.

So what is the heart of our Christian vision? Strange as it may seem in this Easter season but for a moment we need to go back in time to that upper room on Maundy Thursday. There under the shadow of the cross, Jesus is to be found earnestly speaking to his friends. And he offers them one final instruction;

“Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.”

Now in these words, Jesus is not being gooey. He is not telling them that they should have the love that is shred within the nuclear family for each other. Still less is he saying that they should fancy one another. But he is saying that they should have the type of love which seeks the best possible wellbeing for each other. And the source of this is the love of God which we find in creation, in faithfulness and most especially in Christ who shows that love in its fullness in his Passion.

Of course, from the very beginning the church could not live up to such an ideal. But try it certainly did. And the way in which early Christian communities cared for the weak and vulnerable people led the third century caused the third century African Bishop Tertullion to comment that the pagans who were Christianity’s greatest foes, would comment;

“See how these Christians love one another.”

What a compliment! What a challenge for us to live up to! It’s a bit like the observation of Martin Luther King that the church is like a great extended family who receive a great bequest, a beautiful spacious, luxurious house to share with but one stipulation. All must live in it together.

And that isn’t always easy for the church is made up of such radically different people. But who said following Christ is meant to be easy?

But I can’t believe that this calling for love is just about within the church. You see, just like those Judaisers whom Paul confronted, we tend to place restrictions on the love of God. Yet in his letter to the Ephesians, we find Paul suggesting that God is the father of the whole human family, that we are all in relationship. And this fits so truly with the pattern of Jesus whose ministry seems to knock down barrier after barrier. In his life, we see Divine love being shown across racial and religious barriers. We see Divine love being shown across the barriers of gender and of lifestyle. Rubicon after rubicon is crossed by him.

And so the challenge of our scriptures today is to recognise that God does not practice favouritism. He is the God of all who loves all. This lies at the heart of the vision of John Wesley that Methodists should be the friend of all and the enemy of none. It is why against the background of conflict with the American colonies he asked;

“Are there no wise men among us? None that are able to judge between brethren? But brother goeth to war against brother, and that in the very sight of the heathen. Surely this is a sore evil among us? How is wisdom perished from the wise? What a flood of folly and madness has broken in upon us!”

Oh for a modern day Wesley to speak to authority!

Ultimately, this Biblical teaching is counter cultural. We live in an age in which we seem to need hate figures and those whom we can see as lesser. It feeds a sick pride.

In America, we recently saw that terrible massacre at Virginia Tech when a gunman killed thirty two people before turning his gun upon himself. He was clearly a deeply disturbed individuals whose actions have brought much suffering. Soon afterwards a thirty two stone memorial was set up for his victims. A student named Katelynn Johnson, then added a thirty third stone. Not surprisingly, it caused some controversy. But listen for a moment to what katelynn Johnson has said;

“My family did not raise me to do what is popular. They raised me to do what is morally right. We did not lose only 32 students and faculty members that day; we lost 33 lives.”

I do not know if this young woman is a Christian or anything else about her. But I believe that her actions are in accord with the scriptures we have heard today. For all are valuable to God, all being made in the Divine image however badly marred the image has become. And so this is no time to be tortoises in asserting the value of all. And frankly if our doctrine conflicts with charity, may charity win.

Meanwhile, may we celebrate our place of value with God by hastening to his table where we can celebrate his acceptance of us.


This sermon was preached at a Communion Service at Bideford Methodist Church on Sunday May 6th 2007