Horton Heard Who

10.19.12

Acts 10.35 35 “…but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him.” NASB

In ancient times God began with Abram in Ur of the Chaldeans. Abram listened to Him. Abram became Abraham. God seemed to choose only one man in the beginning of getting His message across to the sons of Adam that He is who He is and He would make things right after the disaster in Eden. (This statement is not to discount the line of Seth through Noah).

It occurs to me this morning that God may have made His offer to others besides Abraham and Abraham may have been – out of all the sons of Adam – the only one who took God up on His offer. I thought this because I read Peter’s statement to Cornelius: “…but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him.” All it takes is the beginning of acknowledgement: acknowledging there is a God and behaving accordingly.

In God’s story, Horton heard Who. God spoke and “Horton” heard Him. Abraham heard Who and everyone who responds hears Who. Who is speaking to every person on earth in a way they can comprehend – but only some respond. I responded one day because I was sick and tired of being sick and tired. It doesn’t take too long in this old world to get tired of the ebb and flow of things: how people act, things people say, promises made and never kept.

The man, the Horton if you will, who hears God’s offer is the one whose developed a tiresome disappointment with the way things are, and longs for them to be better – for people to treat each other kindly and for them to tell the truth. There are Hortons all over – in every nation – who are longing for things to be made right – at least as far as they can see. Sometimes that’s all it takes: a longing.

The longing improves our receptivity. It enables us to believe that Who lives out there somewhere and Who can make it right. The longing begins in ways like making the presence of the stars more real and closer and forms questions like: Are You there? And if You are, can You hear me?  Longing for Who is the beginning of a belief that Who exists and I’m not Him. Only Who can do what I am powerless to do.

That’s what Who did to a bunch of Gentiles in the home of a Roman Centurion named Cornelius who led the Italian Battalion. (I snicker at the sound of that! I think Who did too!) Who was heard by a man who said, “Four days ago to this hour, I was praying in my house during the ninth hour; and behold, a man stood before me in shining garments, and he said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God. Therefore send to Joppa and invite Simon, who is also called Peter, to come to you; he is staying at the house of Simon the tanner by the sea.’ So I sent for you immediately, and you have been kind enough to come. Now then, we are all here present before God to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord.” Cornelius heard Who and did what he was told. Who had been hearing him all along and Who, did the unthinkable: He answered. Cornelius heard Who.

Father, open my ears that I may hear,

wonderful words that souls may cheer;

Good News that shines in this world drear and dark,

illumining words to the burdened heart.

Help me to share I’ve heard the Who;

the One who came to make all things new.

Open my eyes that I may then see

Your glory divine….