Paul writes these words to Philemon, a “dear friend and co-worker,” about Philemon’s runaway slave, Onesimus. In what ways are we being like Philemon—ignoring social change we could help enact? In what ways could we be like Paul, bending, step-by-step, the social arc of our society toward equality and justice for all? In what ways…
As the only Philippian convert named in Acts, Lydia was quite possibly the leader and patron of the Philippian church. She used her wealth to establish the community, she risked her reputation as a businesswoman to house foreigners released from prison, she sanctified her conversion with acts of radical hospitality.
The eunuch moves from questioning to a sense of awe, excitement, wonder, and maybe even a bit certainty. “Look there is water! What is to keep me from being baptized?” (Acts 8:37). The answer is nothing—not his status, not his questioning, not even his position in society as a sexual minority.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego exemplified courage as they walked with the presence of God among the flames. Their trust in God overcame the human tendency to fear.
Luke could have easily left Anna out of the story. But she leans in—from the margins, from the shadows, from the edges of the scene to approach her newborn king.
Rahab lived at the edge of life: on the edge of the law, on the edge of love, on the edge of hope. But even out there on the edge, God was at work.
Judas represents those who are afraid to stand up against the powerful. He allows fear to move him. He faces torture and death by aligning himself with Jesus and does what I think a lot of us would do. A lot of us would choose safety and betrayal instead of the path of suffering for…
Pharaoh’s plan is a clever one. In an attempt to obliterate the Hebrews, he enlists midwives to pull a quick-handed maneuver by smothering any Hebrew baby boys seconds after birth so that their mothers will believe they are stillborn. But, instead, two gutsy women throw a wrench in his plans.
The wisdom of Deborah lies in her willingness to create space. Deborah shows us that, in stillness, practicing attending to God with fierce trust, we can sift through the chaos of this world and align ourselves with the movement of God.