Not what he planned

After Acts 8:26-40

His journey has been months;

it’s no easy jaunt from Ethiopia

to Judea, plus allowing time

to rest the chariot’s horse. But

something compelled this official,

this treasurer for the queen,

to leave what was known and

comfortable and rewarding and

travel to Jerusalem, to seek

what?

Inspiration for the trip aside, 

what he found on arrival was

not what he expected, a temple

closed to eunuchs and a journey

apparently for naught. He leaves

and takes the road to Gaza, the road

south for the return home, but then

there was this scroll, this account

of the prophet Isaiah. Did the scroll

travel with him to Judea, or,

disappointed with closed doors,

did he purchase it in Jerusalem?

An episode for Unsolved Mysteries,

perhaps.

What is not a mystery is his stopping

along the road, so taken with the scroll,

so taken with what he had to speak

aloud to try to make sense: the slaughter

of the sheep, the silence of the shearer,

the humiliation of man denied acceptance

by his generation and his temple.

A teacher suddenly appears to explain,

the blinders fall, the forgiveness and

acceptance understood.

And the man who came to Jerusalem

to worship discovers a different kind

of worship, one called baptism,

one called life.

Photograph by Matt Howard via Unsplash. Used with permission.

His unexpected 5 things

After Acts 8:26-40

When he hears the voice, and obeys,

the last thing he likely expects is to find

a court official, an Ethiopian, sitting

in a chariot, reading a scroll of Isaiah

the prophet, and not just any random part

but #53, the sheep led to the slaughter.

And the next thing he likely doesn’t expect

is to be asked to sit with the official

and explain the meaning of #53,

the sheep led to the slaughter.

And the next thing he likely doesn’t expect

is to go for a chariot ride while 

explaining the meaning of #53.

And the next thing he likely doesn’t expect 

is to be asked / told to baptize the official,

who understands the explanation for #53.

And the next thing he likely doesn’t expect

is to be carried away, suddenly, in a moment,

vanishing and reappearing in Azotus. 

And what else is he to do but keep preaching?

So he does.

Photograph by Ingmar via Unsplash. Used with permission.

Hearing the voice

After Acts 8:26-40

He hears the voice, speaking

a short message, almost a telegram

staccatoed in his head, rise and go

south, down to the road, down

to the place between Jerusalem

and Gaza. It may all go south,

but he heard and he obeyed;

he went.

He finds the most unlikely

of sights: an Ethiopian, 

an official in a queen’s court,

stopped on the road, sitting

in his chariot, reading a scroll,

reading aloud as if struggling

to understand the words so

he reads them in his own voice.

He heard the voice and obeyed.

He hears the man reading

in his own voice and explains.

Photograph by Casey Horner via Unsplash. Used with permission.

Joy in Samaria

After Acts 8:4-8

Forced to flee, he finds himself

in that place where the one met

the woman at the well. It remains

a halfway kind of place, believing

half of this and half of that,

a hodgepodge of scrolls and idols

and superstition. Even in his fear

and his near brush with chains,

he speaks, he preaches, he performs

signs. And they listen, as if they

are one body, in one accord, and

they see the unclean spirits 

screaming in the pain of discovery

and identification, abandon 

the human habitats, and they see

the paralyzed and lame suddenly

healed, and the crowd in one accord

knows what they are seeing is

not of this earth, and the idols

and the superstitions fall and

melt away, replaced by great joy.

Photograph by Pablo Heimplatz via Unsplash. Used with permission.

A calling, a life

After Acts 6:1-7

I am Greek, not Aramaic. 

I am not one of the originals

but came later, pulled by the news,

the Spirit, the miracles, tongues

of fire. The people choose me

one of the seven, and I do 

the only thing I knew to do:

distribute food, distribute alms,

care for needs, pray, share,

encourage. When the scattering

comes, I go, quickly, to Samaria,

still the city of half-faiths,

the city of magicians and fakers.

A smaller flock to serve, I do

what I’m called to do, what I can:

preach, speak, share, encourage.

Service there becomes conflict

and confrontation, confounding

the sorcerer who seeks to buy

what he thinks is magic. Sent 

to the desert road, I speak with

the Ethiopian seated in a chariot. 

And then I baptize. I’m learning,

being taught, growing, it’s on

to the Philistines and then

Caesarea, the city of Herod

and the Romans. There I live,

with my four daughters,

prophetesses. I preach, I speak,

I serve, I encourage, I pray. 

Photograph by Felicia Buitenwerf via Unsplash. Used with permission.

The eunuch speaks

I don’t know these words

what they mean

what they say

I don’t know these words

or this man Isaiah

who is this who died

killed, and no one can speak

of his descendants

can he have any

was he a eunuch like me

the man appeared

explained these words

descendants by water

he left the gift in my hand

this gift of words, the Word.

I asked the question,

who is this for, this gift?

The wind answered back

with my echo.

Photograph by George Hodan via Public Domain Pictures. Used with permission.