Thursday, November 29, 2007

Acts 9-10

The voice spoke to him a second time, "Do not call anything impure that God has made clean."

I remember reading a collection of stories found in a book called Second Chances where there are stories after stories about how successful people who made mistakes as teenagers (with the law) are given a second chance, even repeated chances to turn their lives around. They're given room to grow up, sometimes on their own.
Some examples are Olympic Gold Medallist Bob Beamon, poet Luis Rodriquez, and Columbia University Law Review editor Lawrence Wu. They all used to be gang members who had several incidents with the law before they got on the straight and narrow. Though some of their turnarounds came as a result of self-intropsection, they were allowed numerous opportunities to fail and ultimately succeed, without permanently staining their records.

In this passage, I don't think God is merely talking about being equals within the body of Christ, with Jew and Gentile. I believe it's also a command to not judge one another or cast each other aside when one messes up or does wrong. If God has made that person clean, through His grace and mercy that forgives all sin, we too must see the person as clean. And not only to forgive but to stand together with that brother or sister and struggle alongside of them until they "succeed". Even when they still struggle with their flesh and with their strongholds, as believers we must be a people of "second chances." Because all our own stories are about being given second chances. And that's what unites us all in this body of Christ.

Lord may I be a person of second chances, to always hold no wrong towards others and to also hold no wrong toward myself. Lord help me to grow in the knowledge of your mercy and grace. If anyone commits wrong to me today, may I forgive quickly and love compassionately. If I commit wrong today, may I quickly ask for forgiveness and have faith that you have made me clean.

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