Hi Tab Family,
This past Sunday, Sana preached, regarding Peter’s observance of the Holy Spirit falling on Cornelius, a Gentile, saying:
“If the holy spirit is in Gentiles, then God the creator did not intend to exclude anyone from the community of God’s care. Through the power and witness of the Holy Spirit, Peter welcomes Cornelius and his tribe of Gentiles into the community of believers through baptism. The scripture for today ends with Peter stating to the Jerusalem leaders, ‘If God gave them the same gift that he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to hinder God?’ This is a big deal.”
Who are we, to hinder God? This question has stuck with me all week.
While this story is a revelation to Peter regarding Peter’s preconceived notion that only a few can receive the Holy Spirit, and that the “other” cannot, I’d like to invite us all into a space where we point this question toward ourselves regarding ourselves.
In what ways do we insist we are unworthy, in what ways do we insist we are the “other” unable to receive God’s love? Who are we to say God cannot or will not love us, too?
God loves you even if God only sees the worst thing you’ve ever done. And that is often how we judge ourselves— we see the worst and we position that up against what we attribute to God’s standards. Often those standards are entirely our projection onto God, and not God’s own self. Whether from our upbringing, our societal conditioning, or from pesky intrusive thoughts, we often create a standard impossible to live up to. And then we choose the worst parts of us and we fashion them up against that impossible standard. And then, we judge.
But God sees far beyond our worst. And even if She saw only our worst, who are we to hinder Her love, to say no– that love could not possibly extend to our very worst.
What might happen if you extend God’s love to the parts of yourself you consider the worst? What would you do differently if you not only knew, but acted, like you were loved entirely?
I hope you find space to reflect on this during the end of your week.
Peace and grace to all,
Taylor