Breaking Down Racial Barriers

So we have had a chance to see how Jesus lived and what he taught about peace. Now the question is: Did it matter? Did his closest friends, his disciples, take these actions of Jesus and his teachings and put them into practice in their own lives? This next series of reflections will look at this.

When the disciples were “filled with the Holy Spirit” at Pentecost, everything changed for them. They were no longer afraid for their lives nor did they hesitate to talk about their faith in the risen Jesus. They were now fearless witnesses of the gospel of peace.

The Gospel of Luke gives us numerous examples of how Jesus offered reconciliation between people despite their racial and cultural differences. In the same way that Jesus freely offered salvation to the Samaritan woman and to her neighbors, the Book of Acts makes it clear that the disciples now understood that the gospel was not just for Jews, but for all people. Societal prejudices that forbade communication or friendship with Gentiles were to be ignored. The gospel of peace was a message of harmony and love not to be constrained by racial or national distinctions.

"Philip Baptizes Eunuch"
Abel de Pujol

The Apostle Philip went to Samaria and preached the gospel to people whom the Jews traditionally hated. He was soon joined by Peter and John and they all traveled throughout Samaria preaching the message of peace (Acts 8:25). Philip also witnessed to the Ethiopian eunuch and “told him the good news about Jesus” (8:35).

After Pentecost, the Apostle Peter began to live out his faith with a freedom and exuberance that was contagious, but that also generated considerable opposition from Jewish religious leaders. One of the most powerful illustrations of what the gospel of peace meant to Peter in practical terms is recorded in Acts 10. Here we read about Peter’s vision and how God vividly illustrated how the gospel involved overcoming differences that divided people and kept them from hearing the truth about Jesus. When the three men sent to Peter by Cornelius, the Roman centurion, came to his house, Peter invited them in – an act in itself that was a violation of Jewish practice at that time.

Peter’s practical actions were a clear sign that he was a different man now, that his attitude and behavior toward non-Jews had changed. He was becoming a peacemaker, a reconciler between people.

"Peter Baptizing Cornelius"
Francesco Trevisani

When Peter went to the house of Cornelius, accompanied by Cornelius’ two servants and one of his soldiers, he explained to these non-Jewish listeners who Jesus was. What did Peter say to them? God does not show favoritism to certain people, but accepts anyone who believes in him and lives accordingly. He then summarized the message of Jesus by describing it as “the good news of peace” (Acts 10:36).

Of all the words Peter could have used to briefly describe Jesus’ teachings, he chose the word “peace.” The Old Testament promise of shalom was now fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Reconciliation was now possible between people of different languages and races. For Peter and his friends who went with him to Cornelius’s home, the gospel of peace had real practical application – it meant breaking down racial barriers.

So What?

• I remember my first trip to China in 1984. We met with Chinese Christians through some secret connections and I have vivid memories of standing in a circle with them, holding hands and quietly mouthing the words of several hymns. It struck me that these men and women were my brothers and sisters in Christ and that they were “family members” of mine. In fact, my relationship with them was closer than to my non-Christian neighbors back in the States. Have you ever had an experience like this where differences of language and ethnicity seemed to dissolve?
• Can you think of examples from your own experience where you saw racial barriers overcome and people of faith engaging with others with whom they normally would not relate?
• Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Had a Dream” speech is one of the most powerful statements I have ever heard on the “gospel of peace” and its reconciling power to bring different races together. Do you know of others?
• How can you apply this practical application of peacemaking in your own context?