Bridges, Not Walls!
Sermon
The Power To Change
Sermons For Lent And Easter
One of the more obscene things that I have seen in my lifetime
was the wall that separated East and West Germany. I am not
talking just about the wall in Berlin, but the border swath cut
clear across Germany. Over hills, through forests, and beautiful
farmland was this street-wide, cleared strip of land, sprinkled
with formidable watch-towers, barbed wire and the frightening,
oppressive border sign: HALT! HIER GRENZE! Stop, here is the
border, the barrier, the frontier. Even on the freedom side of
that warning sign, one would still experience shivers of fear as
well as anger. One could not help but think of all the misery,
sorrow, pain and tears this barrier caused for countless people.
I remember with what anxiety we crossed that border. Passports
were taken, forms filled out, car and luggage were inspected
(including gas tank); there were questions and waiting. These
slow, deliberate, anxiety-producing procedures took about an
hour. It seemed much longer. Though we were never bothered once
we got into East Germany, and the citizens couldn't have been
friendlier, yet this oppressive border check cast a certain pall
over our entire visit. I remarked to my wife, after going through
a similar exit process, that never again would I visit East
Germany.
We all know what happened. The wall has come down. The borders
are no more. Travel between these two areas now proceeds without
any fear-producing inspections. The world remains in a state of
shock-surprise at how suddenly and thoroughly bridges replaced
walls.
Our text for this day describes an event that brought down an
even greater wall. The event is the story of Cornelius, and the
wall was the formidable, tradition-built, centuries-old wall
between the Jews and Gentiles. The strict Jew believed that
because God had little time for the Gentile, there was no reason
for Jews to associate with them. This was a deep and abiding
conviction. Gentile people were regarded as unclean. Thus the
wall between Jews and Gentiles was taken for granted. This is the
way it was. This is the way it is. Obviously, this is the way it
is supposed to be.
These walls do not come down easily. Many of you recall the
series on the Civil War aired a few years ago on public
television. Once again we experienced the horrendous cost of the
wall between white and black people. Bridges are being built, but
this country is still suffering the after-effects of these hate-
producing walls between people.
We see this in the persistent anti-semitic feelings that
continue to persist in Christian relationships with the Jews. The
events of the Holocaust are terrible evidence that the Jews in
our world have every right to be suspicious of Christianity. I
have never forgotten this terrible, but moving story that I read
some years ago, which follows.
It is the story about Mike Gold, a Jew and the philosopher of
American Communism. He wrote a book titled, A Jew Without Knowing
It.
In his book he tells an experience from his childhood in the
New York Jewish Ghetto. The story is about one time when he went
beyond the Jewish area of the city. There he was confronted by
some older boys. The boys asked him a question that he had never
considered before. It was: "Hey kid, are you a kike?" His answer
was simple, since he had never heard the word before: "I don't
know." His next question was:
"Are you a Christ-killer?" Again, never hearing that question, he
answered: "I don't know."
Intending to teach this Jew a lesson, the older boys beat him
up. He then returned home, beaten and bloodied. Later in life, he
recalled raising his battered lips to the ear of his mother and
asked, "Mama, who is Christ?"1
Unfortunately their history is full of these experiences. Most
of us Gentiles have little experience with that kind of
persecution.
We who are white also have a very difficult time appreciating
what it is like to be a person of color in the country. When they
step out of their houses they have to be on guard, on the alert,
anxious and suspicious of whomever and whatever they encounter.
Their history is full of verbal and physical abuse, demeaning
looks, vicious innuendoes -- a kind of subtle and not-so-subtle
harassment that we whites (especially white males) know little or
nothing about. In my town, someone called the police because a
native American was judged to be suspicious looking upon leaving
a parking lot. In a few minutes his pickup was surrounded by
three police cars. In another incident, a black person, waiting
in his car in a church parking lot, to meet a friend, was
surrounded by police cars and police with drawn guns -- again
because he was suspicious. We white people would raise holy hell
about that kind of treatment.
Women in our society also experience harassment. When they
step out the door, they don't know what to expect as they walk to
work, go shopping or while at their work places. They can be
teased, pinched and fondled because they are women and that is
what macho men are supposed to do. In too many situations women
are regarded as fair game for whistles, suggestive comments and
generally disgusting behavior.
There was a wall between Jew and Gentile in the early history
of our church, that created division, resentment, hate and
suspicion. It was anything but God-pleasing. Thus our text for
today describes a turning point in our church that was as
momentous as Lincoln's emancipation proclamation during the days
of the Civil War.
Like so many significant events in our history, this one too,
began in a most unusual fashion and came from a most unlikely
person. It began when a military leader sent messengers to Peter.
We shouldn't be too surprised that this soldier saw visions, for
we are told that he was:
A devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms
liberally to the people, and prayed constantly to God. (Acts
10:2)
This God-fearer, that is one who became attached to Judaism and
sincerely tried to follow its teachings, was told in a vision to
invite Peter to his home.
While the messengers from Cornelius were knocking on Peter's
door, Peter too was pondering a Spirit-sent vision. Like
Cornelius, he was on the receiving end of a special revelation.
He was told that he no longer had to discriminate in his meat-
eating habits -- that meat which God had cleansed, should not be
called common. While Peter was pondering the shocking
consequences of this revelation, the messengers from Cornelius
described for him the vision Cornelius had and invited Peter to
return with them to help make sense out of all that had happened.
This is an historic meeting. It is not just between two
individuals, but a delegation of Jewish Christians entering the
home of Gentiles. This is a precedent-setting meeting. It hadn't
been done this way before! We get a feeling of this wall-coming-
down-change in these words which describe the beginning of this
meeting:
On Peter's arrival Cornelius met him, and falling at his feet,
worshiped him. But Peter made him get up, saying, "Stand up; I am
only a mortal." And as he talked with him, he went in and found
that many had assembled; and he said to them, "You yourselves
know that it is unlawful for a Jew to associate with or to visit
a Gentile; but God has shown me that I should not call anyone
profane or unclean." (10:25-28)
Peter was beginning to understand that the basic issue was not
kosher meat or food, but equality between Jews and Gentiles.
Equality on the basis of their common creation by God, this was
God's revelation to Peter and it was like another conversion.
Peter didn't stay the way he was. In the presence and power of
God's Spirit, his attitude changed. This Peter who left his
fishing boat in response to Christ's invitation; this Peter who
on the Mount of Transfiguration had seen the glory of Christ and
heard the heavenly voice say, "listen to him;" this Peter who
denied his Lord in the courtyard of the High Priest; this Peter
who met the Risen Christ and heard the three-fold question, "Do
you love me Peter?" and the final command to be Christ's witness
from Jerusalem to the end of the earth; this Peter who himself
had experienced the empowering presence of God's Spirit -- was
once more called on to change his way of thinking and living!
God led Peter and the church into a new way of looking at
people. It didn't come easily for Peter. This was a change that
was extremely difficult. Eating and drinking with the Gentiles
was just something a respectable Jew didn't do. So three times he
said no. Three times he was admonished by the heavenly voice.
Finally the great truth began to dawn on him that all people,
whether Jews or Gentiles, were God's people and therefore equal.
Then in the house of a Gentile, he preached perhaps his most
eloquent sermon. It was a sermon that continued to emphasize the
life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, but in addition
Peter made plain the important truth that Jesus is for all
people. Everyone is included in the mission of Jesus Christ.
Apparently this great preacher planned on saying more, but there
was a beautiful interruption to his sermon. We are told:
The Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word. The circumcised
believers who had come with Peter were astounded that the gift of
the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles, for
they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling God. (10:44-46)
Yes, the Spirit came to all who heard the Word of God. Here we
have direct evidence of God's Spirit coming through God's Word.
Peter's sermon was the instrument for the Pentecost experience
for the Gentiles. Once again we are surprised by God, for this
was certainly an unexpected happening. Now the Jewish Christians
who heard the sermon and saw God's Spirit at work were astounded.
Gentiles, who had always been excluded were receiving the Holy
Spirit. The conviction that God was only for "the lost sheep of
the house of Israel" was being repealed. Their history, which
revealed a God who was full of surprises, was going to record one
more surprise and it was a big one. No longer was there to be a
wall between the Jews and Gentiles. All people are God's people.
The bridge is in.
This is a warm story. It is a beautiful story about the
crossing of a tremendous frontier. It is a story full of
wonderful surprises. There's no applause here for the feelings of
hate. There's no support for division. Rather just the opposite
is true. We have a Roman soldier running out to give a warm
greeting to Peter. We have Peter being warmly received by people
he was forbidden to associate with. We see Peter's exclusive
attitude changing to an inclusive one. We have Peter preaching an
inspirational sermon, with the happy result of the gifts of the
spirit and baptism. That is one happy ending!
This warm, beautiful story of people changing and becoming
open and accepting of other people -- people who are different --
has to be one of the most beautiful and hope-filled of all
stories about our church. Luke must have thought so too, because
he devoted so much space in telling it -- much more space than the
account of Paul's important conversion.
This is what the church is like or perhaps we should say this
is what the church can be like. The church can be, this
congregation can be -- a place where all people are welcomed and
received and honored. This is so because our "God has come to
every nation;" this is so because "God is Lord of all;" this is
so because "everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of
sins through his name." This is so because we
... you and I, do not need to stay the way we are. We can change.
Because of God's power we can bring down the walls that separate
us and begin building bridges. There is power to change! Amen.
1-John Powell, Why Am I Afraid To Love, Argus, 1967, p. 70.
was the wall that separated East and West Germany. I am not
talking just about the wall in Berlin, but the border swath cut
clear across Germany. Over hills, through forests, and beautiful
farmland was this street-wide, cleared strip of land, sprinkled
with formidable watch-towers, barbed wire and the frightening,
oppressive border sign: HALT! HIER GRENZE! Stop, here is the
border, the barrier, the frontier. Even on the freedom side of
that warning sign, one would still experience shivers of fear as
well as anger. One could not help but think of all the misery,
sorrow, pain and tears this barrier caused for countless people.
I remember with what anxiety we crossed that border. Passports
were taken, forms filled out, car and luggage were inspected
(including gas tank); there were questions and waiting. These
slow, deliberate, anxiety-producing procedures took about an
hour. It seemed much longer. Though we were never bothered once
we got into East Germany, and the citizens couldn't have been
friendlier, yet this oppressive border check cast a certain pall
over our entire visit. I remarked to my wife, after going through
a similar exit process, that never again would I visit East
Germany.
We all know what happened. The wall has come down. The borders
are no more. Travel between these two areas now proceeds without
any fear-producing inspections. The world remains in a state of
shock-surprise at how suddenly and thoroughly bridges replaced
walls.
Our text for this day describes an event that brought down an
even greater wall. The event is the story of Cornelius, and the
wall was the formidable, tradition-built, centuries-old wall
between the Jews and Gentiles. The strict Jew believed that
because God had little time for the Gentile, there was no reason
for Jews to associate with them. This was a deep and abiding
conviction. Gentile people were regarded as unclean. Thus the
wall between Jews and Gentiles was taken for granted. This is the
way it was. This is the way it is. Obviously, this is the way it
is supposed to be.
These walls do not come down easily. Many of you recall the
series on the Civil War aired a few years ago on public
television. Once again we experienced the horrendous cost of the
wall between white and black people. Bridges are being built, but
this country is still suffering the after-effects of these hate-
producing walls between people.
We see this in the persistent anti-semitic feelings that
continue to persist in Christian relationships with the Jews. The
events of the Holocaust are terrible evidence that the Jews in
our world have every right to be suspicious of Christianity. I
have never forgotten this terrible, but moving story that I read
some years ago, which follows.
It is the story about Mike Gold, a Jew and the philosopher of
American Communism. He wrote a book titled, A Jew Without Knowing
It.
In his book he tells an experience from his childhood in the
New York Jewish Ghetto. The story is about one time when he went
beyond the Jewish area of the city. There he was confronted by
some older boys. The boys asked him a question that he had never
considered before. It was: "Hey kid, are you a kike?" His answer
was simple, since he had never heard the word before: "I don't
know." His next question was:
"Are you a Christ-killer?" Again, never hearing that question, he
answered: "I don't know."
Intending to teach this Jew a lesson, the older boys beat him
up. He then returned home, beaten and bloodied. Later in life, he
recalled raising his battered lips to the ear of his mother and
asked, "Mama, who is Christ?"1
Unfortunately their history is full of these experiences. Most
of us Gentiles have little experience with that kind of
persecution.
We who are white also have a very difficult time appreciating
what it is like to be a person of color in the country. When they
step out of their houses they have to be on guard, on the alert,
anxious and suspicious of whomever and whatever they encounter.
Their history is full of verbal and physical abuse, demeaning
looks, vicious innuendoes -- a kind of subtle and not-so-subtle
harassment that we whites (especially white males) know little or
nothing about. In my town, someone called the police because a
native American was judged to be suspicious looking upon leaving
a parking lot. In a few minutes his pickup was surrounded by
three police cars. In another incident, a black person, waiting
in his car in a church parking lot, to meet a friend, was
surrounded by police cars and police with drawn guns -- again
because he was suspicious. We white people would raise holy hell
about that kind of treatment.
Women in our society also experience harassment. When they
step out the door, they don't know what to expect as they walk to
work, go shopping or while at their work places. They can be
teased, pinched and fondled because they are women and that is
what macho men are supposed to do. In too many situations women
are regarded as fair game for whistles, suggestive comments and
generally disgusting behavior.
There was a wall between Jew and Gentile in the early history
of our church, that created division, resentment, hate and
suspicion. It was anything but God-pleasing. Thus our text for
today describes a turning point in our church that was as
momentous as Lincoln's emancipation proclamation during the days
of the Civil War.
Like so many significant events in our history, this one too,
began in a most unusual fashion and came from a most unlikely
person. It began when a military leader sent messengers to Peter.
We shouldn't be too surprised that this soldier saw visions, for
we are told that he was:
A devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms
liberally to the people, and prayed constantly to God. (Acts
10:2)
This God-fearer, that is one who became attached to Judaism and
sincerely tried to follow its teachings, was told in a vision to
invite Peter to his home.
While the messengers from Cornelius were knocking on Peter's
door, Peter too was pondering a Spirit-sent vision. Like
Cornelius, he was on the receiving end of a special revelation.
He was told that he no longer had to discriminate in his meat-
eating habits -- that meat which God had cleansed, should not be
called common. While Peter was pondering the shocking
consequences of this revelation, the messengers from Cornelius
described for him the vision Cornelius had and invited Peter to
return with them to help make sense out of all that had happened.
This is an historic meeting. It is not just between two
individuals, but a delegation of Jewish Christians entering the
home of Gentiles. This is a precedent-setting meeting. It hadn't
been done this way before! We get a feeling of this wall-coming-
down-change in these words which describe the beginning of this
meeting:
On Peter's arrival Cornelius met him, and falling at his feet,
worshiped him. But Peter made him get up, saying, "Stand up; I am
only a mortal." And as he talked with him, he went in and found
that many had assembled; and he said to them, "You yourselves
know that it is unlawful for a Jew to associate with or to visit
a Gentile; but God has shown me that I should not call anyone
profane or unclean." (10:25-28)
Peter was beginning to understand that the basic issue was not
kosher meat or food, but equality between Jews and Gentiles.
Equality on the basis of their common creation by God, this was
God's revelation to Peter and it was like another conversion.
Peter didn't stay the way he was. In the presence and power of
God's Spirit, his attitude changed. This Peter who left his
fishing boat in response to Christ's invitation; this Peter who
on the Mount of Transfiguration had seen the glory of Christ and
heard the heavenly voice say, "listen to him;" this Peter who
denied his Lord in the courtyard of the High Priest; this Peter
who met the Risen Christ and heard the three-fold question, "Do
you love me Peter?" and the final command to be Christ's witness
from Jerusalem to the end of the earth; this Peter who himself
had experienced the empowering presence of God's Spirit -- was
once more called on to change his way of thinking and living!
God led Peter and the church into a new way of looking at
people. It didn't come easily for Peter. This was a change that
was extremely difficult. Eating and drinking with the Gentiles
was just something a respectable Jew didn't do. So three times he
said no. Three times he was admonished by the heavenly voice.
Finally the great truth began to dawn on him that all people,
whether Jews or Gentiles, were God's people and therefore equal.
Then in the house of a Gentile, he preached perhaps his most
eloquent sermon. It was a sermon that continued to emphasize the
life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, but in addition
Peter made plain the important truth that Jesus is for all
people. Everyone is included in the mission of Jesus Christ.
Apparently this great preacher planned on saying more, but there
was a beautiful interruption to his sermon. We are told:
The Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word. The circumcised
believers who had come with Peter were astounded that the gift of
the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles, for
they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling God. (10:44-46)
Yes, the Spirit came to all who heard the Word of God. Here we
have direct evidence of God's Spirit coming through God's Word.
Peter's sermon was the instrument for the Pentecost experience
for the Gentiles. Once again we are surprised by God, for this
was certainly an unexpected happening. Now the Jewish Christians
who heard the sermon and saw God's Spirit at work were astounded.
Gentiles, who had always been excluded were receiving the Holy
Spirit. The conviction that God was only for "the lost sheep of
the house of Israel" was being repealed. Their history, which
revealed a God who was full of surprises, was going to record one
more surprise and it was a big one. No longer was there to be a
wall between the Jews and Gentiles. All people are God's people.
The bridge is in.
This is a warm story. It is a beautiful story about the
crossing of a tremendous frontier. It is a story full of
wonderful surprises. There's no applause here for the feelings of
hate. There's no support for division. Rather just the opposite
is true. We have a Roman soldier running out to give a warm
greeting to Peter. We have Peter being warmly received by people
he was forbidden to associate with. We see Peter's exclusive
attitude changing to an inclusive one. We have Peter preaching an
inspirational sermon, with the happy result of the gifts of the
spirit and baptism. That is one happy ending!
This warm, beautiful story of people changing and becoming
open and accepting of other people -- people who are different --
has to be one of the most beautiful and hope-filled of all
stories about our church. Luke must have thought so too, because
he devoted so much space in telling it -- much more space than the
account of Paul's important conversion.
This is what the church is like or perhaps we should say this
is what the church can be like. The church can be, this
congregation can be -- a place where all people are welcomed and
received and honored. This is so because our "God has come to
every nation;" this is so because "God is Lord of all;" this is
so because "everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of
sins through his name." This is so because we
... you and I, do not need to stay the way we are. We can change.
Because of God's power we can bring down the walls that separate
us and begin building bridges. There is power to change! Amen.
1-John Powell, Why Am I Afraid To Love, Argus, 1967, p. 70.
