21 Jul Unclean
Known as the “Father of the Nation” in post-colonial India, Mahatma Ghandi preached change through non-violent protest. Ultimately, he was assassinated. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. studied Ghandi’s non-violent philosophy and applied it to the U.S. Civil Rights movement in the 1950s and ‘60s (There is a Ghandi room at the King Museum in Atlanta). Among the many quotes for which Ghandi is remembered, there are two that should greatly trouble Christ-followers:
- “I would be a Christian if it were not for your Christians.”
- “I very much like your Christ. I don’t much care for your Christians.”
It’s possible that both quotes are just variations of a single sentiment expressed by Ghandi. Regardless, it reflects poorly on those who are to reflect Christ. So, what prompted Ghandi to express this sentiment? This experience:
Ghandi, a Hindu, studied the Gospels and was impacted by the Jesus he found there. So impressed was he that he wanted to get a better understanding of Jesus, who Christians call their Lord and Savior. Toward that end, one Sunday morning Gandhi decided that he would visit one of the Christian churches in Calcutta. As he attempted to enter the sanctuary, he was stopped at the door by the ushers. He was told he was not welcome, nor would he be permitted to attend because this church was for high-caste Indians and whites only, of which he was neither. Having been rejected by the church, Ghandi rejected Christ.
With this rejection, his fascination and study of Christ ended. Ghandi may have been Hindu, but he knew sin when he saw it. And the sin of segregation he experienced in a single church, kept him from knowing Jesus. All it took to keep Ghandi from Jesus was a negative experience at one church. This is a lesson we should internalize into our spiritual beings. It is one we see Jesus teaching the Apostle Peter in Acts 10.
An angel of God appears to a gentile Centurion named Cornelius and tells him to send messengers to Peter, who is in Joppa. Many Jewish converts to Christianity believed Gentiles could not accept Christ unless they first converted to Judaism. But Luke writes in Acts that Cornelius was “God fearing and devout.” So, as Cornelius’ messengers head to Joppa, God sends Peter a message of his own:
9 About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. 10 He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. 11 He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. 12 It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds. 13 Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.” 14 “Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.” 15 The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” 16 This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven. Acts 10:9-16 (NIV)
After Peter and Cornelius connect and share their respective visions, God’s motives become clear to Peter:
34 Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism 35 but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. 36 You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. Acts 10:34-36 (NIV)
So, what is the lesson for us in this story that the church in Calcutta missed?
• No one is unclean in God’s eyes
• No one is unwanted in God’s eyes
• No one is unloved by God
The next time you’re ready to decide someone new on Sunday morning “isn’t a good fit” for your church, it’s just another way of telling yourself “They don’t belong at my church,” just as Ghandi heard it all those years ago in Calcutta. By God’s grace may we make all visitors to church feel as though they belong with us.
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