Jesus loves me yes I know, because my Bible tells me
so. Because my Bible tells me so… My
morning Bible study included Chapters 10 and 11 in Acts. You may have heard the story. Peter, a Jewish believer in Jesus, was
approached by God. God shows him food
considered “unclean” by Jews and tells him to get up and eat. Peter says no because it is unclean and
common. And God says, “Do not call anything
unclean that God has made clean.” This
morning I found that amusing. I have
always felt different and not like everyone else. Sometimes I felt “less than” or “unclean” for
lack of a better word and a little awkward in social settings. So I just giggled because I wasn’t meant to
be common and I can’t be unclean because He created me in His image. You go God! And that story just kept going
through my head. Then a friend shared a
prayer with me that talked about not comparing ourselves to others because He
made us perfect in His eyes. We were
wonderfully made. And again I was like
Yeah God! Apparently He wasn’t finished
sharing with me. I like it when I get to
spend a whole day in constant communication with Him.
And then my daughter brought to my attention that three
Muslim students were killed last night on a North Carolina University Campus
and it was only a whisper from the mouths of the media. I knew she had to be mistaken because no one
was talking about it. It was sad, it was
horrendous and it was not mentioned on any of the news I had watched
tonight. Why? Surely it can’t be because these children
created in God’s image, these children that were fearfully and wonderfully made
and that He loved were also Muslim.
Please tell me that is not why it is not mentioned? And a third time today God took me back to
Acts 10 and 11. God said to not make “unclean”
what He made clean. He made them. Now after Peter was told by God to not make
unclean what he deemed clean, Peter, a Jew, was invited to visit in the home of
gentiles. Now Jewish law stated he was not to go there. And up until that
point, he probably would not have gone but he said, “God has shown me that I
should not call anyone unclean or impure.”
And because of his obedience the Holy Spirit came down upon the gentile,
whom Peter and Jews in general would have considered unclean, and they were baptized in the Holy Spirit and
praised God and started to speak in tongues.
When Peter began to see people through God’s eyes with no judgement and
just love, something amazing happened.
On that day God fulfilled the promise He made to Abraham when He told
him that he would be the father of many nations. On that day, the barrier
between gentile and Jew was broken, the veil was torn again and no man was
excluded from God’s grace and God’s love.
So why then do we, in what is supposed to be a Christian
nation, decide what death is worthy of our time, our sympathy, our
compassion? These lives mattered to
their parents, their community and to God.
I am saddened that we have turned our backs on them and barely whispered
their story. And so I will sing, Jesus
loves them yes I know for MY Bible tells
me so, Yes Jesus loves me, Yes Jesus loves them, Yes Jesus loves us, For my
Bible tells me so….
