Scripture: Acts 2: 11

On the day of the Pentecost, those gathered in the Upper Room were able to speak in languages from the Middle East, Africa, and Asia including "Parthians, Medes, Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea , and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs". The power of the Holy Spirit embraces people of all nations and races.

The Holy Spirit continues to surprise the readers by the incredible inclusivity in the later chapters. Peter, one of the disciples of Jesus, lifts up the model of peace and inclusivity to a military leader, Cornelius. Peter says, "God is no respecter of persons. But in every nation, anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him...You know the message of ...preaching peace by Jesus Christ" (Acts 10: 34-36).

CHRIST, THE BORDERLESS PERSON:

Christ challenges all of us who have a border-complex to cross borders (Acts 1: 8). Pentecost is a border-crossing event. This is explicit at his ascension when he commands his followers to spread his message to the ends of the earth. (Acts I: 1-11)

As a result, today there are minority Christian communities in Palestine, Egypt, India, Pakistan, Malaysia, Indonesia and in many other countries since the times of the early apostles. For more than two thousand years, many of them have witnessed for tolerance and resilience. Referring to the minority Christian communities in these countries, Joyce D. Sohl, in her recent report to the Women's Division Board of Directors, said,

"These Christians have learnt to live with their neighbors. They have built community around common goals. They have educated their children about tolerance and love of the neighbor. They have witnessed to their faith through their living. We must do so."

Some of these Christians call God by names which may be alien to the ears of those of us who live in the western hemisphere. For instance, Christians, including Methodist Women who speak Bahasa Malaysia (the official language of Malaysia) address God as "Allah." Early Christian missionaries translated the word "God" in Malay language as "Allah" since that was the word that stands for God in that language.

God in Christ calls us to be sensitive to minority Christians in a majority non-Christian culture. God also may want us to learn from them modes of witness to truth and grace in a multi-faith context.

BORDERLESSNESS AS A MISSION WITNESS:

The General Board of Global Ministries set up a Youth House in Omladinski Center in Gornji Vakuf in central Bosnia and sent some of the youth from the United Methodist Church in the U.S. to bring about healing between Bosnian Muslim and Croatian Catholic children. Though once an integrated town, Gornji Vakuf now has two schools, two post offices, two hospitals, and even a second name, Uskoplje, but children are brought together from enemy camps to play together and relax. This builds faith in each other as fellow human beings, and develop leadership skills to live an integrated community life. Healing may be more effectively begun among children who can be raised in a culture of peace.

Recently, birth of movements such as "Doctors without Borders," "Pastors for Peace," and other volunteer groups have challenged secular and faith communities to become an international civil society.

REFLECTION:

(1) What are some of the models you can work with locally to build bridges between people divided by race, religion, class and other divisions?

Go to your local government officials and acquire census data. Do you personally know people from other racial or religious groups other than your own?

(3) At what point was Cornelius accepted by God? When he prayed to God? When he was baptized?