– Scripture:

The voice said to him again, a second time, “What God has made clean, you must not call profane.

                        Acts 10:1-16

– Reflection:

Change Is Hard

There is a massive change in the way of life at the time, in our passage today. Cornelius, a centurion in the army in Caesarea, was a pious believer. The passage goes on to say that one afternoon around 3 o’clock, Cornelius had a vision of an angel of God coming, and the angel told him to send men to Joppa to find Peter. Peter went onto a roof to pray and became hungry, and fell into a trance. He then saw the heavens open up, and a large sheet came down, and all sorts of four-footed creatures, reptiles, and birds were inside. Peter is commanded to kill and eat. He responds that he has never eaten anything “profane or unclean.”

Where do we go from here?

Peter is baffled. What’s being undone in this passage is a thousand-plus years of history of a way of life and of sacred law.  It’s a big change. It’s no wonder Peter said no because, in doing so, he would be deemed an outcast and ostracized by the rest of the people. I wonder how we react to change. Do we get angry? Are we sad? Or do you think there’s a way we can embrace change, knowing that God is right there next to us in those difficult moments? I think there is. I don’t think it’s easy, and I don’t think it’ll come to us right away, but I think that no matter where we are, God is with us in the change and the mundane. Don’t worry!

God is there.

Our Prayer for Today

God, we thank you for the many ways in which you are with us. We know that in life, things change and grow difficult, but we take comfort in knowing that you are providing us with a new way. A new way of living, and loving, and of life. Thank you for being with us in change. Amen.