June 2 | Acts 10:44-48

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DAILY READING

Acts 10:44-48

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REFLECTION

Common Ground, Holy Ground

By Pam Mann

We are perhaps hard-wired to notice the differences we have with others. Whether at an airport or in a grocery or on a park path, we see how peculiar others can be. They don’t look like us. They don’t talk like us. They eat weird things. We may stand in the same line or walk on the same path, but they do not value what we value, nor do they perceive the world as we do.

What a surprise then, when they say or do something that touches us as a common experience! Their child plays peek-a-boo with us. Or they bemoan the same weather that we were just lamenting. Or they show us a simple kindness we did not expect but much appreciate. Such is the surprise that Peter and his peers experience as God pours out His Spirit on God-fearing Greeks, whom Peter had previously considered VERY different from himself.

Surprise! Despite the glaring differences, suddenly it’s the common ground that grabs our attention. These other odd folks are more like us than we ever imagined. We all need God. Whether people are just like me or very different from me, we all need God. We all are lost without Him. And would you look at that? There is God blessing these strange folks in exactly the same way that He has graciously blessed us!

We’re just getting used to the idea that we share common ground with these peculiar people and now we have to admit that we not only have common ground with them, but also...and this is huge. HUGE... That common ground which we share is holy ground!  God has moved in and blessed these folks in the same way He has blessed us. The differences which previously loomed so large between us now seem superficial. These differences are minimal compared to our eternal common ground. What really matters here is what God is doing among us. We see anew how our own encounter with God, our own growth in His grace, has been a gift to us, not something we merited. So, duh. God can show this same unearned kindness to anyone He chooses. It’s all about what God is doing, not about the particular individuals whom He has chosen. God is hosting us. He is providing us with an experience in His presence, an encounter with His Spirit. Whomever He chooses is family to us, God’s family. We share the most important common ground there is. We share holy ground at God’s special invitation, an invitation which He graciously offers to peculiar people everywhere.

Sure, we still have our differences. But now those worldly differences pale in comparison to God’s eternal plan. Now God is on the move among all sorts of people. Where God breaks into humanity, He creates holy ground. So, take a deep breath and get ready for an adventure. We too can expect surprises, like Peter encounters in Acts 10!

PRAYER

Thank you, Lord, for the vastness of Your mercy. Nothing stops Your kindness to all people. Any ground You can make holy ground. Any human heart from any background You can make Your own. Thank You for doing that with us. Open our eyes to see how often You are showing the same mercy to those very different from us.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

PAM MANN

I first joined UALC when my husband (then my fiancé) and I were college students involved in youth ministry. God has used UALC to nurture our family’s faith, even in our years outside the U.S. I’ve participated in UALC ministries with kids, art, prayer, exercise, ESL, and Bible teaching. I do all the fun church things.