Paul had a dream, a vision in the night.  A man was urging him to cross the sea and bring God’s word to Macedonia.  “We need your help!”, he said.  The following mosaic depicts that vision.  It is located in front of a church in the area of Philippi.  If you expand the photo and look closely, you can see that it is made up of millions of tiny pieces of tile which glisten in the sunlight.  It is awesome to stand in front of this beautiful mosaic and realize the moment of Paul’s vision which led him to set sail and follow God’s call.  The gospel message spread from Asia into Europe, what was then the Roman Empire, and entered a whole new world!  This was a huge moment!

Paul and Silas, homeless missionaries, wandered outside the city gates of Philippi one sabbath day.  Paul was speaking by the riverside and Lydia was there.  She was a businesswoman, a merchant of purple cloth.  As Paul was preaching about Jesus Christ, “the Lord opened her heart to pay attention.” (Acts 16:14).  Lydia was baptized that day, there at the riverside, along with her entire household.  She then insisted that these homeless missionaries come to her home.  The “new church start” at Philippi was birthed in her home.

(from “Women of the Word”, Art and Story by Mary Lou Sleevi)

I would love to sit down and visit with Lydia!  I want to hear her tell her story.  I want to hear about the moment by the riverside when the Holy Spirit touched her heart to “pay attention”, and her life changed.  I want to witness her exuberant expression in relating how her administrative gifts and passion were used by God to help start a new church.  I want to behold her persistent strength in taking risks as the first Gentile convert and a woman in ministry.  I think Lydia and I could step across the centuries of time and become friends.  Perhaps some day we will.

There is a lovely chapel located on the site where Lydia was baptized.  Here are a couple of photos.  The colors are vibrantly beautiful! These are also mosaics made of brilliant small tiles.

The words “pay attention” keep speaking to me.  When those nudgings come from the Holy Spirit, we need to pay attention.  God may be wanting to do a new thing in and through us.  Here is a photo of that riverside where Lydia was baptized.

“Perhaps each human life is fed by the underground spring of a few experiences.  When we are there, we touch something beyond words.”  Roderick MacIver

Pondering…

When have you felt God opening your heart to pay attention?

Remember your baptism…either through your own experience or what someone has told you.

nk