Michelle Cook
11 May 2004
Readings
Acts 16: 9-15
Psalm 67
Revelation 21: 10, 22 — 22: 5
St John 14: 23-29
My name is Lydia. My cloth is the finest in all of Thyatira, in all of Philippi, in fact in all of Macedonia. I sell purple cloth — the type of cloth that royalty buy, the type of cloth that the rich buy to show to everyone around them how important they are.
I mix with important people, I know their faults and goodness and I could tell you many tales. But this gossip about the rich and famous no longer seems so important —
I have a new story to tell. A story of faith, of hope and of love.
My husband died only a few years ago, just after our youngest child was born.
I had always helped him in his business, advising him on the quality of the cloth, what cloth would sell and what would not, what price to put on it in the market
But once he died I had to do it all — I had to negotiate with people in the marketplace, I had to go to the homes of the rich.
Although I put on a brave face and got on with things life was not easy.
Some people refused to deal with me because I was a woman — although my cloth was better than any other merchant they could not deal with me, they would not deal with me.
The travelling involved was also difficult — I was not yet rich enough to employ someone to do my travelling for me — I preferred to do that myself.
But it meant that I was away from my children — away from my home and friends.
It is very lonely this life — even more lonely with me missing my husband every day.
I was crying out — not knowing where to turn when I discovered the God, the Lord of the Jews. The synagogue offered me a community in the towns that I visited.
Although, as a non-Jew, I couldn't participate fully in worship it was here that I found a God of steadfast love.
All this became even more real to me one day as I was leaving the synagogue.
I had decided to sit by the riverbank — outside the synagogue — and pray. I had had a busy week and was missing my children in Thyatira.
Other women were sitting there with me — and we talked of our children, the strange things they did and how their smiles warmed our hearts when we felt cold inside.
Then some men came and sat with us.
We were astonished — men do not normally sit with unknown women in a public place.
Some of the women were so offended that they left.
I stayed —
The men started talking with us about our children and our faith. They were both Jews but were followers of the Way — the Way of a man they called Jesus the Christ.
I was interested in what they had to say — I asked them many questions.
Who was this man Jesus? Why did he die? What could this mean for me?
Their gentle answers made me hungry for more — I was so excited to know that the God of Steadfast love that I had known through the synagogue loved me just as much as the Jews.
I was so excited that this God of Steadfast love had come and lived with us as a human being Jesus. That God knew what it was like to be lonely, confused, grieving and in pain.
I was so excited that this Son of God, Jesus, had conquered all this hurts by rising from the grave.
But what was the most exciting was that Jesus and God offered me this same opportunity — to be safe from harm, to be no longer lonely because of God's presence with me.
I was baptised that day — as were the servants I had with me. And Paul and Silas came back to where I was staying and ate with me — what a wonderful meal — full of laughter, prayer and hope.
Although I am still lonely I know that God is there with me — that God too felt loneliness.
I know that I am loved by God — I am assured of God's love and God's forgiveness.
God has blessed me with his presence — the blessing of Jesus and the blessing of hope.
I have a new story to tell — a story of faith, a story of hope and a story of love.