When your personhood and sense of truth are counter to the prevailing opinions of your time and place, it can be tempting to hide the fullness of yourself. Perhaps you hope you can maintain safety by flying under the radar, not calling attention to yourself. And if someone follows behind you, loudly pointing you out, it might bring about stress, trouble, or annoyance. The NSRV tells us that Paul was “very much annoyed” (v. 18) by the girl who follows behind him in Acts 16, publicly naming him as the slave of the Most High and preacher of salvation. The word used in verse 18, διαπονηθεὶς, can be translated as “distressed” or “deeply troubled,” indicating that Paul didn’t respond in petty annoyance, but in frustrated concern. She didn’t wear on his patience. She threatened to call him out for who and what he truly was before he was ready to make it known. And Paul’s worry seems to be justified because when he does live into his full God-given identity and frees the girl from the spirit of divination that held her captive, the public response is not good. He had the power to save this girl and this town from the demons that held them captive. But those who sought to benefit from the girl’s captivity did not delight in her release. In fact, they were angry. Choosing greed over human dignity, they only saw what Paul had cost them. Turning Paul and Silas over to the authorities, they complained that their teaching went against the customs of the empire, and they must be silenced. The people respond quickly, seeking to protect the ways of the world against those who would preach God’s way and upset the status quo. As Christians, we are called to live as citizens of the kindom of heaven amid the kingdoms of this world. Often, our responsibility to act as disciples of a loving God puts us in direct contrast with a culture that worships power, wealth, and greed. Championing the poor, the captive, the lonely and the marginalized in our society might be what Christ preaches, but it earns us no points with the powers that be here and now. Instead, it may put us in peril. When we choose to love loudly, when we seek to free the downtrodden from their captivity, when we lift up those that society despises, we meet resistance. Does this justify us ignoring the plight of another to make ourselves comfortable? Does this mean we should deny who we are if who we are is messy and annoying to the world around us? In the face of resistance, Paul and Silas say no. When the empire shows them a terrifying display of force, they do not hide. ...
Thank you to this week's writer, Rae Watson.
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