Blowing open the doors

DAILY BYTE

One of the invitations that this Soccer World Cup extends to all South Africans is to ‘make the circle bigger’ as we offer our welcome and hospitality to the world. Yesterday I said that this is good theology, for that’s precisely what the love and grace of God are all about.

We see this happening in many different ways in the Bible. One of the most dramatic was in the events of Pentecost which marked the birth of the Church. It involved the outpouring of God’s Spirit which enabled the believers to go outside and boldly proclaim, in many different languages, the wonders of God. It was a remarkable example of the circle being made bigger.

Before the events of Pentecost, we read in Acts 1:15 that the group of believers numbered about 120 people. In all likelihood it would have been a homogenous group, all speaking the same language, sharing the same cultural identity and nationality. They would have eaten the same food and supported the same soccer team, if there were soccer teams to support in those days. But with the coming of the Spirit, all that changed dramatically, as that small group of believers exploded to include people from many different nations and speaking many different languages.

The circle of believers was being made bigger. It was not only uncomfortable but also downright dangerous, because no-one knew how wide that circle would ultimately extend. Indeed, one of the key themes in the book of Acts is the relentless hospitality of the Spirit who constantly seeks to widen the circle of the church, to include those whom the believers initially felt honour-bound by their faith to exclude.

What a challenge to us who so easily become entrenched in religious convictions that end up closing the door on others. Thankfully the Spirit of God comes even behind our closed doors to blast them open with the Good News that God’s love and acceptance are for all.

PRAY AS YOU GO

Spirit of God, thank you for blowing open the doors that we feel ‘honour-bound’ to close because of our misunderstanding of what holiness and righteousness really entail. Teach us the lessons of radical grace, that we might become more like Jesus. Amen

SCRIPTURE

Acts 2:1-13 (The Message)

When the Feast of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Without warning there was a sound like a strong wind, gale force — no one could tell where it came from. It filled the whole building. Then, like a wildfire, the Holy Spirit spread through their ranks, and they started speaking in a number of different languages as the Spirit prompted them.
There were many Jews staying in Jerusalem just then, devout pilgrims from all over the world. When they heard the sound, they came on the run. Then when they heard, one after another, their own mother tongues being spoken, they were thunderstruck. They couldn't for the life of them figure out what was going on, and kept saying, "Aren't these all Galileans? How come we're hearing them talk in our various mother tongues?

Parthians, Medes, and Elamites;
Visitors from Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia,
Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia,
Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene;
Immigrants from Rome, both Jews and proselytes;
Even Cretans and Arabs!
"They're speaking our languages, describing God's mighty works!"

Their heads were spinning; they couldn't make head or tail of any of it. They talked back and forth, confused: "What's going on here?"

Others joked, "They're drunk on cheap wine."