Who's at the table?

Acts 11:1-4New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Now the apostles and the believers who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also accepted the word of God. So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him, saying, “Why did you go to uncircumcised men and eat with them?” Then Peter began to explain it to them, step by step...

Does this sound familiar?

Does this refrain still echo in our churches today?

Is there anyone you know that if you ate with them, talked to them, loved them, marched for them, married them, spoke up for them, someone would take issue with it?

For these early Christians it's perhaps surprising that they objected to Peter eating with the uncircumcised men, given that it's been such a short time that Jesus has been away.  

Didn't they remember who Jesus used to eat with? 

But 2000 years later, it's still an issue, isn't it? Martin Luther King, Jr. told us that Sunday morning was the most segregated time in America.  

It isn't only race that keeps us from being at the table together, even if it is race right now that seems to be in the news as the main issue keeping many from the table. 

We manage to find all kinds of ways of keeping all kinds of people from the table.

Yet the table that God sets isn't one that is meant to keep people away.  It is instead meant to draw people near.

The circumcised forgot how wide a table Jesus set.  Peter explained it to them again.  And the explaining still goes on today.

Hopefully soon we will all just be able to sit down and eat.

Together.

Lord, you have called us all to the table.  Help us to make room for those who are being kept away.  Amen.