17th Day of Easter, Tuesday April 28: Acts 10:1-23

Just up the coast from Joppa, in Caesarea in Samaria, a Roman governance town, we meet a centurion, boss of a hundred soldiers. Is it possible to be a Roman officer and a good man? Acts is taking a position, and saying yes. Peter is going to meet his first Gentile host, friend, and co-religionist. Acts says that an angel, a voice, and the Spirit prepared Peter to meet Cornelius – just as Saul and Ananias were prepared to meet one another in the last chapter.

Peter’s dream happens here, with a vision repeated 3 times (and you’ll find, retold by Peter many times more). The heavens open and something like a sheet bearing all kinds of clean and unclean animals comes down, and a voice says ‘get up, Peter, kill and eat’. Peter protests – he’s not going to eat forbidden foods! He has been keeping kosher all his life – no snake snacks wrapped in bacon for him! But the seed of doubt is planted. Snoopy in the Peanuts cartoon was always going to write a book of theology, but never got past the title: ‘Has it ever occurred to you that you might be wrong?’

A Roman soldier and 2 slaves arrive at Peter’s door. What kind of uniformed strangers would scare you? The Holy Spirit tells Peter it’s OK, and the visitors report that their officer Cornelius has been told by angels to invite Peter to visit. So Peter hosts the visitors, then heads off to be a guest himself. Have you ever reached across a cultural, ethnic, or religious boundary to exchange hospitality, and to make friends? Did you feel scared? Did you seek reassurance?