Ripples

I like to watch the ripples spread after throwing a rock into a pond. The ever-widening circles don't stop until they bump into an edge. It's the same principle that makes earthquakes into dangerous Tsunamis but it's beautiful on the scale of rock to pond.

Acts 8:26-40 is a ripple in the spread of Christianity. Jesus tells the disciples in the 1st chapter of Acts,

"you will receive power when the Holy spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

We have to be impressed that within just a few chapters Philip, the Evangelist (!) covers the ground from Jerusalem, through Judea, into a successful preaching gig in Samaria and on to the "ends of the earth" represented by the Ethiopian on his way home.

The journeys of our lives are rarely so succinct and successful. And the funeral eulogy that sums up our days won't be heard by our ears. I believe we need to take the time to examine our journey of faith to see how we are faring.

It is time we checked, can we name our destination? Are we holding onto baggage that is preventing us from getting somewhere? Do we need more supplies? And do we have the right guide? All are questions worth pondering. A faith journey, like any trip, needs planning and preparation. Let's not take the days we have for granted or just tumble through life. Instead, may the ripples of our journey spread the good news to all the ends of the earth.