When she was forced to retire as an employee of the Presbyterian Church at the age of sixty-five, an ordinary woman named Maggie Kuhn decided to fight back against ageism—and the stereotype of being patronized as just a “little old lady.” Dedicating the rest of her long life to social and political action on behalf of elders, she is famous for saying, “Leave safety behind. Put your body on the line. Stand before the people you fear and speak your mind—even if your voice
shakes. When you least expect it, someone may actually listen to what you have to say.”
I think about Maggie Kuhn whenever I read Acts 11, in which Peter, standing before the leadership of the Church in Jerusalem, has to defend his decision to share the Good News of Jesus with “uncircumcised” Gentiles. I don’t know if Peter’s voice shook (or if he was afraid of those who confronted him), but it’s obvious that he won over his critics not by dazzling them with brilliant theology, but simply by speaking his mind—and telling his story.
Alas, it certainly wouldn’t be the last time that conflict would threaten to divide Christians from one another. And while many issues cannot be resolved as quickly or easily as Peter’s run-in with the circumcised believers, it seems to me that when we all take the risk of sharing our own stories—candidly describing how the world looks from where we stand—then there is a greater chance of not only being heard, but of making a real difference.

Carl McColman

Carl McColman is a spiritual director, retreat leader, and author. His latest book is Read the Bible Like a Mystic: Contemplation and the Word.