Thursday, June 23

THURSDAY, JUNE 23, 2016

In today's reading, we learn about the Jerusalem Council, in which the apostles and other church leaders sought to reconcile what had happened in the Gospel ministry to the Gentiles.  How would they take the clear signs that the Holy Spirit had indeed blessed this ministry and, with outward signs of inward transformation, marked the Gentiles as having become co-heir of salvation in Christ?  Would the Way that Jesus proclaimed remain authentically Jewish?  What character would it take in the disparate communities where the Gospel had gone and would go?

Sometimes, when we read history, we may have the tendency to discount or forget the tension or uncertainty present during these turning-point moments.  When these moments occur, in worldly terms, many will be disappointed with the outcomes.  Still, here, the Holy Spirit guided the Church to bring unity and to set the course of significant further growth.

Please notice the reliance on the Holy Spirit's direction in this critical decisionmaking.  From this example -- and quite a few others in the Scriptures -- we understand that, without the Spirit's wisdom, human plans will count for nothing.  The early Church demonstrates a faithfulness to, submittedness to, and embrace of God's will that we would do well to replicate.

As you may have read, the British voted to "leave" the European Union yesterday.  This result has given victory to a populist movement of Euroskeptics, those who doubted the value of the European project.  In some respects, this populist movement leveraged fears about immigration and the "other," while promising better economic conditions for those already in Britain.  The result has prompted the resignation of Prime Minister David Cameron and will set off two years of negotiations as to the implications.  This vote may turn the tide of the "European community" that had come together in the post-World War II period and give momentum to other Euroskeptic movements on the Continent.

The Brexit vote may have little direct impact on your day-to-day life, but its outcome does raise the question of what commitments we owe to others.  Populism ultimately stands on the rallying cry of "everyone for himself" or "us vs. them."  Certainly, these messages sound friendly at first, but, when we take the ideas to their logical extreme, all community would break down as we slice "us vs. them" more and more finely.

From the Scriptures, it does appear that God has a tremendous heart for unity and cooperation.  He loves each nation and seeks to bring blessing through His Son.  May we embrace this outward focus and inward love to counteract forces seeking to spread divisions and envy.

Lord God, thank You for Your heart for the nations.  Give us wisdom as to how to love a world that seeks to divide on so many labels.  Send Your Spirit to Grace Church and our extended community so that we would live in unity and have the courage and strength to bless others first.  We need Your presence desperately in a world of bitterness and division.  We love You and give You the honor and praise today.  In Jesus's Name, amen.