Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, "Brothers, what should we do?" Peter said to them, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him." And he testified with many other arguments and exhorted them saying, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added."
Acts 2:37-41
"Save Yourselves From This Corrupt Generation"
This is one of those difficult Biblical verses that seem to contradict Jesus' mandate to love our neighbors as ourselves, asking us to cling to our own salvation and to reject those whose lives and beliefs are unlike our own.
Past history and our current climate of distrust of "the other" due to religion or ethnicity show us how dangerous such rejection can be. Through the centuries the threat of 'the other' has been used to justify wars, pogroms, crusades and terrorism, as well as slavery, disenfranchisement and persecution.
In this Lenten season of introspection and study, listen to the voices of the world's people. Trust your faith is strong enough to hold firm and large enough to allow in other wisdoms. Too much is lost in following a rigidly narrow path. Might not that be the "corruption" of which the verse speaks?
We are all pilgrims in this world making our roads by walking them.
Hear Kate Wolf sing: "there are no roads that do not bend. The days like flowers bloom and fade and they do not come again. We've only got these times we're living in." And these our fellow pilgrims walking with us.
Adele Davies
Acts 2:37-41
"Save Yourselves From This Corrupt Generation"
This is one of those difficult Biblical verses that seem to contradict Jesus' mandate to love our neighbors as ourselves, asking us to cling to our own salvation and to reject those whose lives and beliefs are unlike our own.
Past history and our current climate of distrust of "the other" due to religion or ethnicity show us how dangerous such rejection can be. Through the centuries the threat of 'the other' has been used to justify wars, pogroms, crusades and terrorism, as well as slavery, disenfranchisement and persecution.
In this Lenten season of introspection and study, listen to the voices of the world's people. Trust your faith is strong enough to hold firm and large enough to allow in other wisdoms. Too much is lost in following a rigidly narrow path. Might not that be the "corruption" of which the verse speaks?
We are all pilgrims in this world making our roads by walking them.
Hear Kate Wolf sing: "there are no roads that do not bend. The days like flowers bloom and fade and they do not come again. We've only got these times we're living in." And these our fellow pilgrims walking with us.
Adele Davies
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