As part of our service today we read "The Give-Away" by Ray Buckley. This Christmas story reminds us that living for ourselves without taking time to think about how our actions and words impact others is surely the way to disaster for the earth.
Instead, we are encouraged to give the best of ourselves for the care, teaching and love of others as God did.
Our main scripture for today also encouraged us to listen for God guiding our actions, and to recognize that life is not about what is good for us. Through truly hearing God's voice, Peter realized that God was for everyone... not just one person or one type of person but for everyone.
We see Peter breaking through the barriers put up by the powerful so that he can truly welcome in all of God's people. He has to fight through judgement, he has to break through assumptions to begin to teach faithful people a new way of looking at God's world.
This reflection was written just after Alabama passed a law making abortion illegal. Through that decision the lives of women and children were put at risk. This is a horrendous example of people abusing power to create some kind of status for themselves ... the men who passed this law will never be subject to it.
Imagine God coming to us now, asking us to accept everyone, to offer everyone welcome, to love everyone.
Oh, world, we can do much better than this: put God, our loving God, first in our life and decisions; Love one another; hear God saying we are here for each other... no one better than the other. Let's get out of God's way and be God's way.
