Variety: Acts 10v34-36

Then Peter began to speak: ‘I now realise how true it is that God does not show favouritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. 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
After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: ‘Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles should hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith.
Acts 15:7–9

Which verse of the national anthem do you belt out the loudest when beating your chest with British pride – say, when sporadically you trounce the Aussies and regain the Ashes? That’s right, there’s more than one – in fact, there are six verses at your disposal!

At some points, it’s a confusing cacophony of nationalistic fervour: ‘God arise, scatter our enemies, and make them fall! Confound their politics, frustrate their knavish tricks, on Thee our hopes we fix.’ But that’s counterpointed by inclusive lines asking for British blessings to spill over to every people on earth: ‘Not in this land alone, but be God’s mercies known, from shore to shore.’

Perhaps you’ve heard this same dissonance as we’ve read Acts 10–15 and listened, imagined, and created in our ‘us first’ era. Which verse would Christ our King have us sing as citizens caught between conflicting countries and competing ethnic identities?

Between Peter’s witness to Cornelius and his later testimony before the Jerusalem Council, we hear a gentle hum swell into a stirring anthem of praise, communicating the gospel with conviction. It calls us to chant a new anthem – one that affirms what we love, challenges what we hate, and satisfies our hopes in this fractious moment.

With Peter, we can affirm the national particularity of the Jewish people. Chosen by God to bear ‘good news of peace’ – a song of shalom where everyone flourishes under Christ – they were sent from shore to shore to bless every land. We, too, have distinctives worth sharing with foreigners near and far.

With Cornelius, we challenge any discrimination that presumes God is prejudiced. The Holy Spirit interrupted Peter mid-sentence to bring a Gentile Pentecost, declaring ‘everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through Jesus’ name.’ Quicker than a semiquaver, centuries of racism and enforced assimilation were swept away.

And with the Jerusalem Council, bringing joy to Antioch’s outsiders, let’s belt out Christ’s gospel anthem of acceptance – a unity-in-diversity resolving every dissonance – until every national hope is satisfied and every tongue tunefully sings, ‘Jesus Christ is Lord of all’ (Philippians 2:9–11).

May we live and proclaim the best verse of Britain’s anthem: ‘Lord make the nations see, that men should brothers be, and form one family, the wide world over.’

To that end, let’s together sing, God save our King.
Dave Benson, London Institute for Contemporary Christianity