Favorites XVIII

Though there are many things which could be added to anyone's narrative about Simon Peter, one thing which surely must be included is his encounter with Cornelius.  Found in the 10th and 11th chapters of Acts, it is a story which lifts up the power of prayer, the importance of obedience to the Holy Spirit, and the inclusiveness of the community of faith.  The story begins with both men praying.  Cornelius, a Gentile, is in Caesarea and Peter is in Joppa.  Each hears a word in their prayer which joins them to a plan God is about to work out which will connect their lives.     

Cornelius is directed to send messengers to Peter and Peter is directed to go with the messengers when they arrive.  Neither one is able in the moment of praying to see the end result of what God is doing.  The important thing which makes the plan of God work is their trust in God and their willingness to take a risk of faith.  At the end of the story, Cornelius and those with him are blessed with a the same kind of spiritual blessing as the disciples received on Pentecost and Peter realizes in that moment that God is the God of all.  Jew and Gentile alike belong to God and the God of no partiality welcomes both.     

It is a critical moment for the church.  Without the encounter between Cornelius and Peter, the church could have continued without the inclusiveness that was within the plan of God.  We can only wonder what the Holy Spirit might be saying to the church today about its struggles.  We can only wonder where it is that our resistant to what the Spirit of God is seeking to do is hindering the forward movement of the Kingdom's work in our midst.  It may not be as easy as affirming our own personal persuasion which in the long run may be the very thing which has gotten us into the quandary we find ourselves today.  When we choose listening to our own voices instead of the voice of the Spirit, there can only be trouble ahead.