As I said yesterday, Peter is able to go and visit Cornelius the Centurion because he’s willing to give up the purity that allows him to enter the temple. His understanding of God has moved beyond the controlled structure of temple worship. It’s also moved beyond any understanding of the divine that the Roman empire … Continue reading Acts 10:17-33 Capable of believing anything
The centurion is a man of faith. He is able to trust, and trust blindly. He hasn’t even met Jesus, but he trusts that this new figure, this new healer and preacher, can help his beloved servant. And he trusts in his own actions, that they will get results, even though he describes himself as … Continue reading Luke 7:1-35 Faith and Repentance
When Elizabeth gives birth to John, her neighbors and relatives gather around in joy. This is the second gang of people we’ve seen in Luke’s Gospel, the first being the crowd at the temple who gathered around Zechariah after he emerged from his encounter with an angel. I think it’s fair to say that they … Continue reading Luke 1:57-80 Joy, Community, and Wilderness
Julian of Norwich didn’t see sin, and the pain and suffering which accompany it, as a problem which could be solved theologically. For her, sin is an existential state of ignorance, which humanity can escape from by arriving at a greater knowledge of God. This knowledge can be obtained not only by casting one’s eyes … Continue reading Julian of Norwich
KPB Stevens 