“It is clear to me that God shows no partiality” Acts 10:34

There is no little irony in the fact that recent social unrest coincides with the Feast of Pentecost.  Pentecost, or the Feast of Weeks as it is called in the Old Testament, fell fifty days after the resurrection of Jesus; the day upon which The Holy Spirit fell upon the disciples.  Taking the shape of tongues of fire these simple uneducated men proclaimed the message of Jesus in the many different languages spoken by pilgrims who had come to Jerusalem from the scattered countries comprising the Roman Empire at that time. 

People place different emphases upon Pentecost depending upon their own unique perspective.  For example some say that the ability to speak in tongues is just one of the many special gifts or charisma of the Holy Spirit.  Others believe the point is the sermon of Peter which followed in which he stressed the necessity of baptism. Still others might say this is where the disciples received the courage to go forth and evangelize the world, which is purported to be the main mission of the Christian Church.  Depending upon what faith tradition you belong to will determine where you might place your priority.  But there is one essential element of Pentecost that is much more obvious and which for me comprises the main point not only of Pentecost but also for all those initial followers of The Way.  It is summarized by the words of Peter found above:  God shows no partiality. God does not play favorites between persons, populations or people groups.

Jesus brought this to light during his life by engaging with people without regard to their gender, race, socio-economic status or sexual identity and practices. This life lesson from the Lord  was not lost on his followers.  As one reads through the book of Acts they repeatedly meet and are repeatedly met with this message: The Good News of life consists in love that is not limited to a small group belonging to one culture or country, it is for EVERYONE!  There are various iterations of God raising up all those who are looked down upon by others.  It takes awhile, but the disciples get it! Funny, but two thousand years later it seems that many of us haven’t.

In Acts 15 there is the account of the first official church council that took place in which the key takeaway is that the Gentiles (everyone who wasn’t Jewish), were not second class citizens and were to be no less a part of God’s kingdom in Christ than any other.  And yet endemic and systemic discrimination and racism has been promoted in the assembly halls of churches and church councils ever since, some decisions even resulting in the eradication and extermination of those who were not part of the majority.  (For the systemic mistreatment of the Jews I would highly recommend the book “Constantine’s Sword”).

As we look around us today it appears that many ways followers of The Way are still living with a pre-Pentecost mentality.  God may not show partiality, but we certainly appear to!  We are told that at the conclusion of Peter’s Pentecost sermon the people were cut to the heart.  Are we?  In my experience as a pastor I witnessed people repenting of many “common sins”, but I wonder how many times those good Christians confessed being biased, prejudiced and yes, even racist?  I spent 27 years as a pastor in a church body that denied equal standing to women, gays and minorities, in essence being an accomplice to what was institutional prejudice.  And I was a silent and therefore willing accomplice, making me no less guilty. 

How convenient it is to use the Bible to justify our own prejudices. How easy it is to ignore the clear examples from the life of Jesus on inclusion for everyone.  How simple it is to overlook numerous passages that remind us that in God’s eyes there is “neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male or female, but all are one in Christ Jesus.”

The change that so many are crying out for in our culture doesn’t begin by accusing others, scapegoating the institutions nor blaming elected officials.  It is dependent first and foremost on all those who claim to be disciples of Christ of looking into our own hearts and seeing clearly the fear that resides there and that results in judgment of others.

Pentecost is not merely another church observance of an historical occasion, it is a personal experience of the Holy Spirit in which the breath of God fills us so that we can have our eyes opened to see what Peter and the others did, that indeed God shows no partiality.  And leaving us asking the question, “If God shows no partiality, why should I?”