Guilt by Association

Easter Greetings!

Scripture:  Acts 2:14a, 36-41

Peter's Pentecost speech concludes by reminding his listeners of his main point, "Therefore let the entire house of Israel know with certainty that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified."

Ouch! The people listening to Peter that day came from many places, but Peter has aimed the last of his message at the Israelites.  He has quoted scripture to reinforce his declaration of Jesus' real resurrection. But he points his finger accusingly at them, "You crucified him."  From the distance of 20 centuries and a long way from our the Jewish roots of Christianity, we might hear that as the Jews crucified Jesus, but if we were standing there before him, wouldn't we say, "Wait a minute.  I had nothing to do with that.  I wasn't even there.  I didn't see Jesus or hear him speak, how could I have crucified him?" But, instead, Luke reports that the people are "cut to the heart" and want to know what they should do.  

Maybe it has to do with the far greater sense of being one people, united through oppression and history into a single group so that what one does, all participate in.  I suspect that is part, but not all of the response.  Maybe it is also because he has told them that the one crucified was the Lord, the Messiah, the anointed one for whom all Israel has been waiting for hundreds of years.  

The paper today and yesterday has reminded us of both Martin Luther King, Jr.'s assassination and the genocide of so many people even in very recent history.  If we had a Peter standing before us saying that King, the one we murdered, was the one anointed to end racial discord in our world, would we be willing to accept a portion of the responsibility?  Or would we join the chorus that claims ourselves not guilty?  

I certainly have felt outraged at King's death and distanced from the hand that pulled the trigger.  I feel sad at the inhumanity of those who mow down other people because they are a different ethnic group or religion.  Yet, these killers are not so different from ourselves.  We hope and pray that we have heard a word of peace, but Christians have been and continue to be as violent as any other group.  Even without weapons in hand, we cut one another down, slander and exchange ugly barbs in our political campaigns.  We turn to violence over peaceful reconciliation in schools, workplaces, and families.

Can we say with the crowd listening to Peter, "What should we do?" Can we repent in the name of our people and seek forgiveness?  Can we learn, through God's word and through fellowship and breaking bread, to be truly peaceful and spread that peace in our families, our communities, our world?  That is the hope that Christ offers, I think.  The hope that God's realm of justice and peace can come near to our lives and the lives of others.

Peace be with you,

Marlea