Change

Last night as we read our chapter of Acts, we were told that Peter, Paul, and Barnabus (Not to be confused with Peter, Paul, and Mary; I’m not sure these three could even sing.) were getting rumblings of complaints from their Jewish followers who believed that the Gentiles, if they were going to be baptized along with them, needed to be circumcised and follow their dietary restrictions.

I don’t find that particularly unusual. After all, these Jews had been taught from the cradle that God required certain things, the most important of which was that men be circumcised. Jews had followed these restrictions for hundreds of years, believing it was what was required of them as God’s chosen people. Now suddenly, after being taught that they, alone, were God’s people, not only were many Gentiles believing that they too could be baptized (i.e. “chosen”) but that they didn’t have to follow Jewish traditions.

I find that God often challenges us to accept change. For example, for a thousand years or so, Catholics happily heard our Mass spoken by the priest in Latin, his back to us as he did and said mysterious things. It was beautiful. Suddenly, following Vatican II, there is the priest looking right at us, and not only is the Mass said in our own language, but we have to participate!

That is just an example. Every day we are challenged to look at things in a new way. Particularly now, as the world becomes more secular, we are being asked to figure out a way to accept the change, but at the same time, keep our eyes ahead to God. It isn’t always easy.

Peter told these riled-up Jews that the Holy Spirit had revealed to him that it wasn’t necessary to be circumcised to follow Jesus. Acts tells us that the Jews following Jesus accepted Peter’s word because they had seen God work through he and Barnabus and Paul. I suspect that there were many Jews who grumbled under their breath and didn’t accept it as readily as the author of Acts lets on.

Change isn’t always easy to accept.