Your Favourite

A Reflection on the Second Reading for January 12th, 2019:
​The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord

Acts 10.34-38

Peter began to speak:

“I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ — he is Lord of all. That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.”

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He’s almost rationalizing it all as he speaks aloud. He separates the facts from the feelings by talking it out—just trying to make sense of it all. Have you ever done that? I do it all the time. And as I rolled his words around in my heart and mind, I imagined Peter almost laughing at the incomprehensible way God loves. Soon after Peter said these things, the Holy Spirit came upon him and those who were with him, and he was immediately moved to baptize them in Jesus’ name. The men who were with him were gentiles… not the “favourites” according to popular Jewish belief at the time.


In my teenage years, I used to sign the cards I wrote to my parents, “With love from, Your Favourite”. I said it to make them laugh mostly, but the truth is, my jest came from a deep place of longing and insecurity. There was a desire within me that longed to be fulfilled, understood, loved completely, loved more than others—the favourite. I believe this is a reality for many of us when we choose to look honestly within ourselves. And as I come to look at the God who dwells there, in the midst of my longing, I am learning to see what Peter has come to see: God doesn’t pick favourites.
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God wills the good for all. He wants for the good-est outcome for our relationships and the circumstances we find ourselves in. He doesn’t subscribe to the world’s construct of a measure of relative goodness. Because, I believe, sin is inherent in that way of thinking. It’s how pride sneaks in. I am good compared to the leaders of corrupt governments; I am good compared to the convicted criminal in today’s local news; I am good compared to my ex—and the list goes on.


Reading this little bit of scripture left me feeling convicted to the point of being compelled to turn my face away from Jesus. “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful [wo]man!” (Luke 5:8) Something deep inside of me let go, and my heart moved. Streams flowed out. By God’s grace, a new awareness was born: I am guilty of wanting to be His favourite, and by holding onto this desire, I naturally exclude others from being in the midst of the goodness of His Kingdom—the Kingdom I am meant to carry within me, and to call others into. And Peter carried me through these movements of the heart with his own personal epiphany.


Let us pray:
Thank you, loving and gentle Father, for giving birth to this new awareness by Your great Grace. Let this epiphany not be wasted, but like Peter’s movement to baptize the gentiles, may it move me to true humility, and to follow your example of holy Love.




Lori MacDonald

Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

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