Words for Worship

Ministry Today

Twist in the Tale

TEXT: Acts 16:22-31

 

As a bit of light reading recently, I have come across John Buchan’s ‘Mr Standfast’. It was,  in fact,  the third novel in the Richard Hanney series; the first being the very famous Thirty-nine steps. In both, Buchan uses the same sort of storyline. A series of events occur that gives out various clues. Then the unexpected happens and the baddy’s urbane mask slips. All of sudden he is recognised in his true sinister colours and the opaque plot become transparent. Then the clues meaning becomes clear. Also of course our perception of the situation is for ever altered. And that, I suspect is the anatomy of most thrillers.

 

Indeed from that viewpoint, there is something of the thriller about our story of Paul that we heard today. A story that has a number of twists. Not least the transformation of a hard-bitten prison guard. For, he too ends up being seen in his true colours. Colours made all the better by his new faith and its call to show a greater humanity than the world asks.

 

And how has this come about?

 

Well as in any good thriller, the clues are already there before us. But to see them all, we need to look back. We need to refer to the prequel of this story – one that could be billed as Christianity I. In that epic, we commonly call the gospels, we hear of mysterious events.   Happening such as the empty tomb and the visitation of Christ Resurrected on the road to Emmaus; then there's Thomas's doubt and renewed belief. Each of these scenes—just to name a few—gives us the hints we need to solve the Macedonian Prison Mystery.

 

Because the account of Paul and Silas in prison gives us a view into the thrilling and mysterious ways God works in our world, even—and perhaps most of all—when things seem to be at their worst.

 

For the guard had locked up Paul and Silas with the other criminals and returned to his station at the end of the cell block. So far it
was business as usual.

 

But then two things happened that made this more than an ordinary workday. First, the new prisoners began to sing and pray; and second, an earthquake struck. Taken separately, these events may seem merely strange; but, coupled, they form a wonderful whole that is enough to change this guard's life.

Let's look closely at how this happens.

 

It started with that singing. Now, have you ever found yourself in a place or circumstance that had you so far down you thought you'd never get out? Then someone comes along who points out another way, gives hope and makes you smile. Instead, you may see someone else who has weathered some tough breaks and that opens the possibility that things might change for you, too.
 

Well, I think that's what might have been happening in the jail that day: Paul and Silas, from the strength of their faith, displayed to everyone their better way. Their singing and praying to God in front of the other prisoners and the guard pointed to a new source of love and hope, one beyond those prison doors and shackle chains. Although the other people may not have joined in on the chorus of the hymns, at that very moment they saw the possibility of rising above their current circumstances in faith and hope.

 

Then came the earthquake. Was it a miracle? Well, whatever; for this earthquake can represent for us those life-shaking moments when all we've prepared for seems to be for naught—those times when things are so bad you think nothing else can go wrong. Then boom! You're hit with some unforeseen event that makes all your previous troubles seem like nothing.

 

In this passage, the earthquake was just that: the last dreadful straw. Remember that I'm looking at this story from the perspective of the guard right now. For the prisoners, the earthquake had to be a dream come true; for it was their means to freedom, after all. But for the jail keeper that morning, it seemed to be his worst nightmare. When he saw the doors of the cells opened by the Earth's shaking, his first response was to raise his sword to kill himself. He wanted to die by his own hand rather than be executed for failure of duty. In pride then, this guard chose to remain in control, even if it meant losing his life.

 

But suddenly he heard a voice. Down the corridor, through the rubble and ruin, Paul cried out don’t do it! Don't hurt yourself! We're all here!" Seeing that this was true, the guard fell down, grateful and trembling and transformed. In that moment, he became a believer in God.

 

Now is that not a great example of change, of hope and faith found in the middle of darkness and desperation. Most of all, what a witness to the mysterious workings of God’s majestic love in the least-expected places.

 

But can we really believe it? Dare we take from this account any solace or inspiration for our very own lives?

 

 

I think we can. I think we may both believe it and be inspired by it. For there is an underlying theme that is highly relevant to the personal challenges we may be facing in our own lives today. Because seeing how this nameless jail keeper responded to the presence of God can lead us to become deeper and truer believers ourselves.

 

For example, I think we may do well to be inspired by the timing and placing of the events. On the one hand, it's easy to think that this guard was at the wrong place at the wrong time; yet being where he was put him in the unique position to witness faith and service in action. Paul and Silas's songs and prayers may have seemed innocuous at first, but in the end they moved this man to fall to his knees and ask, "What must I do to be saved?"

He may well have added ‘I want the peace and certainty that you have. What must I do to find these in your God? -

 

So too we are always offered the chance to turn to salvation from troubled times, to witness courageous and faith-filled actions that can strengthen our spirits rather than deplete all our energy; in fact to find peace in our everyday as well as experiences of exceptional challenge. So too are we ever offered the thriller of having God at the centre of our storyline.

 

 

 

Yet keeping God at the heart of our days is not always easy. There are so many challenges and temptations that keep Christ at bay, even when things are going well. Or as a quote I recently heard put it, 'We regard God as an airman regards his parachute; it's there for emergencies but he hopes he'll never have to use it.'"

 

However our bible story of today shows that God's seeming absence in our lives has more to do with us than it does with God. We are the ones who are distracted, turning to look at or listen to something or someone else. We are the ones choosing to cram lives so full with family, work and personal concerns that we leave little room for a faithful walk with Jesus. However our Jailhouse rocking reminds that God is present in the dungeons of our days, waiting patiently for us to turn to him Turn to find the love and hope of Christ. Turn to offer up our attention, our time, our gifts and our worries—to a new and loving way. Turn to see that God is there; that God is patiently waiting to free us to the hope through Christ; that God indeed, is already running towards us so as to be seen in his true colours – the banner of the hero who is the eternal mister Standfast.

 

 

 

 

Twist in the Tale