Diversity

 Acts 2:1-21

Listen, do you hear it. Can you imagine all of the different tongues, the different colors, the different customs and God through the Holy Spirit is bringing them all in to hear about Jesus. This is what the old picture of Isaiah was. To gather all from every tribe language and nation to come together. See the gospel is about a diverse community gathered together in spite of our differences. Right now difference is the target, as if it is a threat and the real threat is not understanding the gospel of love and inclusion.

Today I have to be frank because what we see as the good news is under fire. The good news of God in Christ, even just of God has always been inclusion. The most rich experiences in my life have been with people of different faiths, different cultures, different skin color. These have changed me immensely and have fostered this deeper look at the whole arc of our story. 

Richard Rohr today asks us to look at the whole Biblical arc of story to understand the compassion and love Jesus shows. The most often quoted verses by Jesus are ones of love and compassion, not judgement and hate. Rohr then begins to go through each one. I just know this has been my experience of Jesus as well. All of his encounters include everyone as we talked about last week. You don't even have to look into the scripture stories deeply to see it because of who has called together as disciples: fishermen, tax collectors, zealots, followers of John the Baptizer. Then the women who come to the foot of the cross, who take his body along with Joseph of Arimethea, a big one on the Jewish council. No one is excluded.

There is an old song that I was taught when I was a child. It goes like this: "Jesus loves the little children. All the children of the world. Red and yellow, black and white they are precious in his sight. Jesus loves the little children of the world." Do you know it? Why have we strayed so far from this song? Why are we meeting people with angry hate filled words? Why are we not standing up in protest to what is happening to make us not see one another with love, but with threat even to the point of killing those who differ from us?

Today is a sad day in the birth of the church because we have forgotten this one beautiful thing. Love flowing from rivers of compassion and mercy. Voices not being silenced, but being freed so that all can hear this good news. Jesus died for the world and even though the world put him on that cross, he opens his arms for all. Take this good news to the streets. Take this good news into your soul. Take this good news as a balm of healing for our nation and the world. Then we can celebrate this day of inclusion.