Scripture
Acts 9:26-31
When Paul had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples; and they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple.
In this story from the early church, Paul come home to Jerusalam and attempts to join the disciples there. This is going to be a hard sell for him, because in his earlier life, he was Saul. This is the same Saul of Tarsus who was a man of incredible privilege as both a powerful person in the Temple and as a Roman citizen. Before his conversion to Christianity on the road to Damascus, Saul rounded up followers of Jesus for persecution and even death. So, it is no surprise that followers “were all afraid of him” and “did not believe that he was a disciple.”
What Paul had going for him was the testimony of Barnabas, who told everyone the miraculous story of his conversion and how he was now “speaking boldly in the name of Jesus”. Barnabas vouched for him and then Paul went out and put his privilege to use good use, speaking in the name of Jesus and growing the number of believers.
When I decided to join Cathedral of Hope, I have to admit that I wondered if a straight, cis-gender, middle-age white male might have a hard time fitting in. Would such a person be accepted and find a place to serve? There are an awful lot of privileged people who look like me that spread hate against their LGBTQIA+ siblings.
What I found out is that this church is full of Barnabas’ spirit! Time and time again, I have been welcomed, loved unconditionally, and asked to share my gifts with the community.
The hero of this story is Barnabas, who brought Paul to the apostles, told his story of conversion, and vouched for his gifts.
The hero of this story is also YOU, people of this community, who continually and consistently greet the stranger and love no matter what. May we always be Barnabas.
Let us pray,
We give thanks for the story of Barnabas, who saw what was beautiful and purposeful in the scoundrel that was Paul and brought him to the church. May we have eyes to see what is beautiful and arms to embrace and welcome. Amen.
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