Tag: Acceptance

Everyone Welcomed?

We are in the tenth chapter of Acts, verses twenty-three through twenty-eight. It is a story of diversity. According to the text, Peter, a Jew, traveled to Caesarea. When he arrived, he was greeted by Cornelius, a Gentile. That fact alone is shocking to their world because Jews and Gentiles never mixed. However, the story is a little more complex. Cornelius considered Peter a celebrity, so he fell at Peter’s feet. It was his way of honoring Peter, but Peter reminded him of the big picture. Both men are equals. Because both men were created by God. It was not just true of their time. It is true of our time. That is an easy point to understand, but it is not an easy point to apply. That fact has been illustrated time and time again. Let me give you one example.

One of the great iconic figures in American history is Confederate General Robert E. Lee (1807-1870). There is an old story about Lee near the end of his life. He was in Washington DC. On Sunday morning he decided to go to church. It was Communion Sunday, so Lee went forward for the elements. As he was waiting to be served, a black man knelt beside him. Some in the congregation were shocked. An onlooker said to Lee later, “How could you do that?” Lee replied, “My friend, all ground is level beneath the cross.” May we never forget that point.

Everyone is the same internally. Everyone needs forgiveness and salvation. Everyone needs love and acceptance. Everyone needs hope for a better future. However, that does not mean everyone in the world is the same. Our world is extremely diverse. Our world is filled with all kinds of people. There are various races. There are various generations. There are many nations, so there are numerous political views. There are the extremely wealthy and the homeless. There are males and females. There are various sexual persuasions. There are the limited, and people who are whole. When you mix all those things together, one thing is perfectly clear. There are as many kinds of people as there are people. The church must be diverse to speak to our diverse world. The problem is the church has always struggled with diversity.  

History tells us Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) read the Gospels seriously during his student days. At one point he even considered becoming a Christian. He believed the teachings of Jesus were the answer to the caste system that was dividing the people of India. So, one Sunday, he decided to attend a Christian service and talk to the minister about becoming a Christian. When he entered the sanctuary however, the usher refused to give him a seat and suggested that he go worship with “his own people”. Gandhi left the church and never returned. “If Christians have caste differences also,” he said, “I might as well remain a Hindu.” That usher’s prejudice not only betrayed Jesus, but also turned a person away from trusting Him as Savior. Maybe that story is the story of the church today?

Maybe the thing you love about your church is the same thing that frustrates God about your church. Our churches are filled with people who are basically the same, but God is always looking for a diverse church to minister to our diverse world. In the text for today, the Gentiles added some diversity. How diverse is your church? Let me ask you these four questions.

How many races are represented at your church on an average Sunday? I hope the answer isn’t one.That may be fine with you, but God is looking for diversity. God needs a diverse church to speak to our diverse world.  

How many generations are represented at your church on an average Sunday? Through the eyes of God, the higher the number, the better. The church was never meant to be a senior citizens center or a childcare facility. We need all generations. The church is the last place where all the generations mix. God needs a diverse church to speak to our diverse world. 

How many political views are represented at your church on an average Sunday? Does everyone in your church hold politically conservative views? Is everyone in your church politically liberal? Do you think the President is doing a great job? Do you think the President is the worst one in American history? God needs a diverse church to speak to our diverse world.  

How many theological viewpoints are represented at your church on an average Sunday? Are there any theological liberals in your church? Are there any theological conservatives in your church? Do you know of anyone who promotes civil religion? It used to be called pluralism. The only thing we must agree upon is Jesus. God needs a diverse church to speak to our diverse world. 

It goes directly back to the scripture lesson for today. In the early church, everyone was the same, Jewish. Then came this story. Peter had the audacity to bring in not just a new person into the church, but a new kind of person into the life of the church, Gentiles. That was a good thing because the world was filled with Gentiles. We are Gentiles, non-Jews! The church must be diverse to speak to our diverse world. Can I be honest with you? Diversity has never bothered me. 

One of the reasons I could work with anyone is, I went to high school with everyone. I am a proud graduate of Warren G. Harding High School in Warren, Ohio. I didn’t think much about it then, but I do now. Every portion of society was represented at Warren Harding in the mid-1970s. There were students with white faces and students with black faces. There were students who came from white-collar homes and students who came from blue-collar homes. There were students who spoke only English. There were students who spoke English and Spanish. There were students who spoke English and Greek. There were students who were being raised by their parents and students who were being raised by their grandmas. There were students who came from the richest part of the community, and students who came from government owned housing. There were preacher’s kids and children whose fathers or mothers were incarcerated. There were students who had a bright future, and students who had no future. At Warren Harding in the mid-1970s, every part of society was represented, and no one really cared. I experienced diversity daily. It was the norm. It was expected. We laughed at schools where everyone was the same. I got a wonderful education in Warren, but the most valuable thing I learned was how to tolerate others. When I get to heaven, I am going to thank my parents for not sending me to a school where everyone was the same. The diversity I experienced as a teenager made me a better adult. I was prepared for this diverse world.

Several years ago, I was celebrating my birthday. My daughters were still at home. It is the custom in my home that the birthday person gets to pick the restaurant for the celebration. Since it was my birthday, I got to pick. I usually shy away from chain restaurants and pick a restaurant that is locally owned. That year, I decided we were all going to Charlie Staples, on W. Rayen Avenue in Youngstown. I love those ribs because they are cooked with a “cup of love”. That is the tag line they use in their advertising. As the day got closer, I got more excited. I could taste those ribs.  

When the day came, I was the first one in the car. When my daughters got in the car

they asked me, “Dad, where did you pick to have dinner?” I said, “Charlie Staples; their food is prepared with a cup of love.” As we drove to the restaurant, the quieter the back seat grew. As I left my white world and drove into the city, they weren’t talking at all. Then a small voice in the back seat asked, “Are we in the hood? Are we going to die?” Those words cut me to the heart.

I had deprived my children of something my parents gave me. My children had never experienced diversity. They were raised in an all-white community. They went to an all-white school. In their school everyone spoke one language, English. We went to an all-white church and all their friends were white. All their extra-curricular activities were filled with white faces. The only thing they knew was white. The only thing they knew about the non-white world was what they saw on television or heard from racist white people. As I ate my birthday meal, I was ashamed. I felt like a failure as a parent. I always knew they should have gone to Harding. I learned the most valuable things in life at Warren Harding. They weren’t close to entering a society where people were different from them. I am glad they grew up to be wonderful, open-minded women despite me. Can I ask you a question? 

How comfortable are you with diversity? Are you going to spend the rest of your life surrounded by people who are just like you? Are you brave enough to experience something new? God needs a diverse church to speak to our diverse world. Never forget the old American proverb, “Variety is the spice of life”.

Accepted

In the second chapter of Matthew, verses 1 through 12, we find the story of the Magi. The Bible says it happened after Jesus was born in Bethlehem, in Judea. So, Jesus was born five and a half miles south of Jerusalem. Matthew goes on to pinpoint the date. It was when King Herod sat on the throne. He sat on the throne for thirty-three years, from 37 – 4 B.C. He was appointed to his position by the Roman Senate. Over two thousand years later, he is still remembered for being ruthless and insecure. His insecurity led him to murder many in his family: his wife, three sons, mother-in-law, brother-in-law, and uncles. In our reading for today, we learn his murderous ways extended beyond the family. You know what the Bible says.

One day, Magi, Gentile astrologers from Persia or southern Arabia, (both east of Palestine), came to visit Herod. They had been studying the stars and had discovered that God was doing something new. A baby had been born, who was called King of the Jews. They assumed the King of the Jews would be born in the palace. They assumed wrong. The infamous insecure King Herod is thrown into a tirade. His insecurity fuels the loss of more human life. The story does not have a happy ending. It pains me to say it. Using the information received from the Magi about this divine birth, he orders the death of all baby boys under the age of two. However, in the end, the Magi find the baby, now a toddler. (Jesus could have been two years old.)

I have preached this story for years, but it is only recently I discovered something new. It is something I have overlooked my entire life. It is not that Jesus was a toddler, not a newborn. It is not that they were Magi, not kings. It is not the meaning behind the gifts. My new insight was that the gifts were accepted. It is hard to see thousands of years later. Joseph and Mary received the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Think about it for moment. When you accept a gift, you are accepting the gift giver. Joseph and Mary accepted the Magi’s gifts, so they were accepting the Magi themselves. It does not sound so earthshaking now, but it was then. This Jewish couple accepted this group of three Gentiles. That rarely, if ever, happened. At the time of this story, accepting the Magi was, and is, a big deal. Just think about it for a moment.

From the time of Abraham to the time of Jesus, God had an exclusive relationship with the Jews. That covers thousands of years. The Hebrew nation took pride in the fact that they were God’s Chosen People. The purity of their race was important to them. They took pride in their heritage, and they disdained for everyone else. Either you were a Jew, or you were not. That is why genealogies were important to them. In the previous chapter, Matthew proves to the readers, Jews, that Jesus was 100% Jewish. That is why the Jews hated the Samaritans. They were almost Jewish, not good enough. Who were the Samaritans? They were the descendants of former Jews who had intermarried with Gentiles during the exile. Through Jewish eyes, they were half-breeds and hated for polluting the race. The purity of the race is extremely important to the Jews. That is what makes this story so amazing. This Jewish couple, Joseph, and Mary, accept these Gentiles, the Magi. Not only do they accept them, but they accept their gifts. Can I ask you a question? When was the last time you didn’t feel accepted? In the Bible lesson for today, the issue is racism. We understand racism because sadly, it is still part of our world.

I have never experienced the magic of Pittsburgh. Some people see it as a magical place. Some believe, heaven looks a great deal like Pittsburgh. I am not one of them. Don’t get me wrong. There are a few nice streets crowded in between the rivers and the hills. Can I confess something to you? I can never drive into Pittsburgh and not get lost. I am always going the wrong way on a one-way street. It is my experience that modern GPS is useless in Pittsburgh.

Several years ago, I was going to visit someone in one of the hospitals in Pittsburgh. Kathryn came along for company. Not to my surprise, we got lost. I break the stereotype and ask for directions when I get lost. Kathryn was driving, so I jumped out of the car. The closest place to ask for directions was a corner bar. When I walked in the place, it went silent. I do not want to sound racist, but the place went silent because I was the only person of non-color in the bar. I asked the first person I saw for directions. He was helpful. He pulled out a napkin that sat under his frosted beer mug and wrote down some directions. When I walked out, everyone started laughing. Racism is at the heart of that story and racism is at the heart of our Bible story. However, racism is not the only source of the problem. There are many reasons why we don’t accept others. Let me ask you the question again: When was the last time you didn’t feel accepted?

Several years ago, I officiated at a wedding at the Butler Museum of American Art in downtown Youngstown. To be more exact the wedding took place in the new Butler North, who was the former First Christian Church. The congregation had left, and the Holy Spirit went with them. The ceremony was stiff with canned music. My plan was to leave after the benediction, but the father of the bride asked me to stay and say at the reception in the art gallery. I was more than glad to stay, but I had stay about two hours. I called Kathryn and she agreed to meet me at the reception. However, that meant for two hours, I was on my own. I spent most of the time looking at the pieces of art. I tried to talk to people, but no one wanted to talk to me. I was identified as the minister, and no one wants to talk to the minister. I was alone in a crowd. I was not accepted. Have you ever been excluded because of your job? Let me ask you the question again: When was the last time you didn’t feel accepted? You know it is true. Sometimes, we exclude ourselves because we do not feel like we belong.

Personally, I find New Year’s Eve to be depressing, after the great day of Christmas. We always go somewhere to escape the festivities of New Year’s. One year, we went to Annapolis. It was a great trip. We toured the Naval Academy and visited some historic sites. Annapolis was the Capitol of the United States for the first eight months after the Revolution. From Annapolis it moved to Trenton, New Jersey. The last day of our trip we went into Baltimore and toured the B & O Railroad Museum.

The last thing we did was go to a mansion called Evergreen. It was the home of one the B & O CEO’s. The building was impressive, filled with priceless art and collectibles. Our guide tried to impress us with all the pieces. Everyone was impressed, except for one person in the group, me! I just didn’t appreciate the various pieces. Don’t get me wrong. I have been exposed to some of the finest things in life. I have heard some of the finest music ever composed performed by some of the world’s finest orchestras. I have seen masterpieces in some of the finest art galleries in the world. The problem is not a lack of exposure, it is a lack of appreciation. Everyone on our tour appreciated what they were experiencing, except me. Once again, I was alone in a crowd. The guide and the group did nothing wrong. The problem wasn’t them. It was me. I didn’t feel like I belonged. By the end of the tour, people were sharing what they enjoyed the most in the house. Do you know what I enjoyed most? It was a photograph of Kaiser Wilhelm II (1859-1941). I really admired his large mustache. It was obvious. I just didn’t fit in with the rest of the group. It is entirely possible to exclude yourself. Let me ask you the question one more time: When was the last time you didn’t feel accepted?

That is what makes this morning’s story so incredible. It is a story of acceptance. A Jewish couple, Joseph, and Mary accepted a group of Gentiles. They aren’t just accepting them. They are emotionally embracing them by accepting their gifts. Here is the Good News for today: You are accepted too. Jesus didn’t just come to maintain God’s special relationship with the Jews. Jesus came so everyone can have a relationship with God. Jesus came so God can have a relationship with you. Never forget it. God loves you so much, he wants to spend eternity with you! Brian Tracy (born 1944) said it best, “The greatest gift that you can give someone is the gift of unconditional love and acceptance.”