Photo by Eradio Valverde from painting of Lydia in Philippi, Greece, 09/2019
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9 During the night Paul had a vision: there stood a man of Macedonia pleading with him and saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." 10 When he had seen the vision, we immediately tried to cross over to Macedonia, being convinced that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them. 11 We set sail from Troas and took a straight course to Samothrace, the following day to Neapolis, 12 and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city for some days. 13 On the sabbath day we went outside the gate by the river, where we supposed there was a place of prayer; and we sat down and spoke to the women who had gathered there. 14 A certain woman named Lydia, a worshiper of God, was listening to us; she was from the city of Thyatira and a dealer in purple cloth. The Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul. 15 When she and her household were baptized, she urged us, saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my home." And she prevailed upon us. (Acts 16: 9-15 NRSV)
Our dreams make for some of the most interesting and at times, the most frightening features in our mind's theatre. Our dreams are an extension of who we are, what we were, what we fear, what we love, who we love, what we hope, what we saw that made us excited that day, etc. I remember standing outside in our back yard against the fence to our next-door neighbor's house. We lived on the corner house and our neighbor was older than me. I don't remember the conversation but I do remember her asking me what I dreamed. I told her I didn't know what dreams were. I don't remember how old I was, but as she explained it, she said, "You know like falling off a mountain cliff." So, guess what I dreamed that night? Yes, falling off a mountain cliff! Yet, like we see in this passage, sometimes God uses dreams to prepare us for an event or a task that God wants us to address.
Paul had a vision during the night and in this dream stood a man from Macedonia asking him to come to Macedonia and help them. Paul did not question the vision and prepares immediately to make the trip to Macedonia, filled with the conviction that God called him and his party to share the gospel with them in Macedonia. And as sometimes happens, the biblical way from Point A to Point B isn't always straight! Paul and company set said from Troas to Samothrace, then to Neapolis, then to Philippi, which was the leading city of Macedonia and a colony of Rome. Paul is now in Europe taking the Good News of Jesus to whomever would hear and receive it. It was Paul's custom to go first to those with whom he shared an affliation, and those were the Jews. It would be in the synagogues that he would share the saving grace of Jesus. Some would politely hear him out; others would get riled up, and some would convert. So, on the Sabbath, he went beyond the gates to the river where he and Silas believed there might be a place of prayer. What they found were women gathered there and they began to speak to them. Of the women there, one stood out as a successful businesswoman and faithful worshiper of God, who listened, believed and presented herself and her household for baptism. And such was her gratitude to Paul that she urged him and his party to stay at her home and further share with them what Paul knew about Jesus and His message. We gather she was successful because as the passage closes, it simply says, "And she prevailed upon us."
The photo above was taken in the church started by Lydia in Greece. Close to the church is the river where she believed and where Paul baptized her. The impact of her conversion is revered even today. Her yes to Jesus was the first made on European soil. Because of her willingness to trust Jesus, millions have come to faith as a result. In that region Lydia is a saint in her Greek Orthodox Church, second in popularity only to Paul, who is revered for all the work he did among the Greek people. We could feel the sacredness of the area and we were touched to be among the places where this obedient man of God shared in a way that he reached a new believer, a woman of God who continued the work of making disciples among those in her city and region. The words boldness, faith, trust, confidence, openness, wonder, all come to mind when I think of these two Christian giants; Paul and Lydia. It can be said of Paul that he went, in the name and for the cause of Jesus, where no one had ventured before. It can be said of Lydia that her willingness to listen and accept, allowed her to become the person she was. What words come to mind when you think about your faith and Christian walk?
PRAYER: Loving God, we confess we do not do enough and we have several good excuses; but we know You are the source of all good things and we pray that you would empower us to be the people who tell others about You. This we pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Be bold today in sharing Jesus!
Receive my blessings of joy and hope,
Pastor Eradio Valverde
