Acts 2:46-47

“Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people.” vss. 46-47a

Luke notes that the church in Jerusalem had the good will of all the people and that really shouldn’t surprise us. The believers were engaging in unconditional love and sacrificial service and it’s under those conditions that humans flourish in every time and place. This was the way of Jesus, and his Spirit-filled followers had a strong desire to be his imitators. And through the centuries wherever the Body of Christ has behaved in such a fashion, wonderful things happen. People experience the Peaceable Kingdom, and the broken are healed and restored.

The problem is that, because the Church is made up of broken people, it’s been easy to get off track and adopt the ways of the world. Instead of practicing unconditional love and sacrificial service, religious leaders have adopted the language of power and domination. At times they’ve encouraged believers to take up arms against their supposed enemies and wipe them out in the name of Jesus.

The result of these behaviors has not been surprising. The Church’s reputation has suffered.

But there is hope! Because the Church is the workshop of the Holy Spirit, unconditional love and sacrificial service can still be found in our communities of faith. And where they are present, goodwill abounds!

Thought for the Day: What is my congregation’s reputation?