Before & After: Part 3: Beyond the Pale

What happens when the gospel calls us to step past our safety zones and engage with the people we've deemed completely "beyond the pale"?In Part 3 of our series, John Herron explores one of the most seismic shifts in the early church: the radical inclusion of the Samaritans in Acts 8. For centuries, a deep-seated gulf of bitterness, ancestry, and religion had divided Jews and Samaritans, making Samaria a boundary line no self-respecting Judean would ever cross.By tracing the trajectory through Luke’s Gospel, John breaks down how Jesus spent His ministry intentionally preparing the soil to shatter these old prejudices. John challenges us to look past our own "holy huddles" and ask a transformative question for our lives and our city today: Who is our Samaria, and what happens when we realize the Spirit is already out there waiting for us?🌿 Give & SupportRedeemer Central is a diverse and vibrant church in the heart of Belfast, practicing the way of Jesus through simple, intentional, and inclusive community, and seeking the peace and common good of our city.~  You can support our ongoing work by giving financially at redeemercentral.com/give. Your generosity is greatly appreciated ~