Walking Alongside Seekers: Learning from Philip - Acts 8:29-31

Commentary

Revd. Mark Fletcher: And then in verse 30, Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading from Isaiah the prophet. And he listens. And then he asks a question. Do you understand what you are reading? says Philip. It is such a lovely moment. It’s such a great little story, isn’t it? And I think it’s a story about a kind of attentiveness to what God is doing in people’s lives, a willingness to listen carefully and ask good questions. And I think it speaks to all of us who find ourselves walking alongside our friends who are on the margins of faith. And to do that well requires patience, and respect, and prayerfulness, and careful listening to what people are thinking about and the questions they are asking, and looking for what God is doing in people’s lives. Because we live in a world where God is at work in people’s lives. People are exploring faith in new ways. But they need someone to walk alongside them, to help them find the places where they can find answers to their questions. And so my question for you this evening is: who are you called to be walking alongside right now? Who are you called to be Philip to? Maybe you should be asking that question. If you know who that is, just hold that person in your heart this evening. And do you see also that God is at work in your life? It’s a good question that opens the door for what comes next. Philip listens and observes, and then asks the question.