Friday in the Octave of Easter

 Lectionary: 265

There is no salvation through anyone else,
nor is there any other name under heaven
given to the human race by which we are to be saved."

Inclusiveness shudders when it hears Saint Peter's witness of faith in the name of Jesus. Despite its truth, it doesn't sound enough like coexist or tolerate. But one can tolerate pain and coexist with poisonous snakes without including either in a bucket list. 

Peter and John, as they discovered the crippled man at the Beautiful Gate, weren't concerned about the masses; they cared about that poor gentleman and then spoke a kindly word to him, Jesus. 

When the authorities asked them, "By what power or by what name have you done this?" their answer again addressed the incident and the moment:

"...it was in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean

whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead;

in his name this man stands before you healed." 

The authorities knew the story and the name, of course. Only recently, the entire city had been swept up in a paroxysm of furious hatred against Jesus Christ the Nazorean. Blindly, impulsively, despite the Passover and its solemn holiness, they had demanded his immediate crucifixion. The Roman procurator was cowed by the uproar. He felt the hot breath of his superiors on the back of his neck. He feared the loss of his position if he had to muster the army to calm a riot. 

That a major city had become inhospitable to buying, selling, and business would look bad on anyone's resume. Religion is important, sure! But calm, stability, and The Economy are more important. The Jewish authorities of the city had seen it coming and impressed it upon the Roman. The name of Jesus was trouble. 

But less than two months later the name was heard again and trouble was afoot. It was as persistent as Lady Macbeth's damned spot. It wouldn't go away. But the problem wasn't just one man this time; it was a story, a teaching, a persistent rumor about the name which effected miracles. If only a few were intentionally preaching it, everyone was talking about it. 

Right there by the temple a crowd had gathered and were talking loudly about something new and exciting. Change was in the air. The unpredictable was predicted and no one could say how long it would last or where it would end. The authorities feared that the masses might not tolerate their persistent dissatisfaction any longer. 

The name of Jesus still distresses the status quo. It's not nearly as reassuring as include and coexist. It suggests we can do better; that good enough is not and never will be good. Tolerance for difference must become curiosity, admiration, esteem, and delight in the presence. Even fear can become fascination, and pain can become precious. 

I met a fellow who told me he'd bought a gun since a Muslim family had moved into his neighborhood. I suggested that he and his wife buy ice cream and an apple pie to welcome them. They cost less than guns and won't kill curious grandchildren. 

Coexist and tolerate change nothing. They're like holding one's breath until we get back to normal. But the normal never lasts. Jesus welcomes, embraces, heals, and unites. He has little use for security. He loves differences, admires others, and absorbs the alien as something precious. 

 

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