There is a crew at our house in Thomasville. They’ve been working for the past few months putting two new rooms on the back of our house for Mom and Dad to come live there. Next to the house is a dumpster…it is about 8’ x 25’ and full of scrap wood, shingles, discarded Pepsi bottles and sandwich wrappers.
Inhabitants include untold millions of fly larvae, mice and roaches, not to mention the odd family or two of black snakes. (Don’t tell Elizabeth I said that!)
If I were to ask Mom and Dad if they prefer to live in the new rooms or the dumpster, the only question would be if I have been drinking. Nobody in his right mind lives in a dumpster if there’s a new house waiting.
Yet, when it comes to living in faith, accepting others, we human beings would rather live in the “dumpster of separation” we create with our prejudices than the new rooms of joy Jesus is building for us.
Today Paul’s in-your-face to Peter calls to us to make a decision as well. How do we live like Paul said – in Christ, with Christ living his life through our life? It’s living together in love, in the faith family. That’s what Jesus came to die for, that we might have life. We were born into the deficit of sin. It separates us from God and each other. Jesus came to break down the barriers that separate us, so that we can walk together.
He came to tow away the dumpster of separation. He’s building a new house full of love and family. There’s room!