St. Peter, in the Acts reading today showed courage and a willingness to follow the insight and leading of God. He had a vision where he understood that people who were not Jewish (uncircumcised) were still loved by God and a part of God's Kingdom. This insight was huge for not only Peter but the new church. It opened the doors for the church to evangelize among the Pagans or Gentiles. It made it possible for us to know and follow Jesus. It allowed us to see the depth and breadth of God's love for all humans.
There have been other insights that change the world. Nicolas Copernicus in 1543 wrote a book as he was dying. In it he put forward the notion that the planet Earth went around the Sun. This concept of "Heliocentricism" which he supported mathematically change the world's view of itself. Coming with Galileo's proof that the world is round and not flat changed even more knowledge of the earth.
In 2019 it is time for another revolution in thinking. Currently there is a lot of religious tribalism. We somehow want to believe that the Christian God is different from the Jewish God or the God of Islam. This tribal thinking is extended to all the religious and spiritual thought of others. We face the reality of Climate Change and planetary destruction through the actions of humans. We have more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere today than we had 3 million years ago. Then, it led to the last destruction and extinction of living life on the planet. We have been called to be stewards of the Earth, not its destroyers. This same call is in the faith of the Jews, the Sikhs, Islam and Buddhists. We must work a a coalition of all the people of God to band together so the planet Earth can survive. We have a eleven years to do it. An attitude of "Theocentrism" and a willingness to work as one is the only solution as we all follow the same God. Put away the tribal instinct, call on others to put away there's and lets work at solutions in a joint effort to save the planet for us and more importantly for the ages to come.
Some may want to argue about the concept of Theocentrism. I invite you to read Holy Envy: Finding God in the Faith of Others by Barbara Brown Taylor. She is a retired Anglican Priest and Professor of comparative religion. It is an excellent read and will give you language to pursue this discussion with others in a respectful and Bible based manner.
