Easter

Acts 11:1-18

The promise of Isaiah 65 is that God is doing a new thing. What's taking God so long?

We Christians believe that we have a moral obligation to point to the pain that the rest of the world can’t see. Others may stroll past the suffering, but we stop and stare, take up an offering, make an appeal and collect blankets, sighing as we do our bit to alleviate some of the misery. That life may not actually be rotten in our part of the world today only increases our guilt for our occasional lapses into joy. How dare we sing when others are sufffering?

The first disciples experienced Jesus’ resurrection not as some single triumphant fait accompli, but by fits and starts.

This is no voluntary association, no transactional contract. The sheep do not earn the shepherd or elect him.

The disciples are afraid, so they lock their doors. I do the same.

Remembering our baptism enables us to step out of our old life, at least for a moment.

What happens to a person when the Holy Spirit descends like a tongue of fire? In Acts, those present were filled with the Holy Spirit. We all long for this. We all seek fulfillment. I saw this once when I was conducting a spiritual retreat for members of various 12-step groups. Each person spoke powerfully about how the pain of emptiness in his life had led him down wayward paths. Each had discovered that “you can never get enough of that which will not satisfy.”

Calling the roll is easier than following the leader.