There is something intriguing about the juxtapositioning of Lydia and the slave girl. They were two women in the same city that Paul encountered on the way to a place of prayer. Our impression of Lydia comes from her seeking after God (even before she meets Paul), being at the place of prayer already, having a respectable business and practicing hospitality. I think I would have been drawn to Lydia; she gives me the impression of being calm and personable.
Then there is the slave girl. She encounters Paul on the way to the place of prayer (she is not at the location), she follows him around making proclamations until Paul is totally annoyed. Her story is closely linked to the mob that later has Paul flogged without trial; they seem annoyed but more at Paul than at the girl.
Funny how speaking up for God polarizes people. Lydia is drawn to the preaching but the mob apparently had had enough. The quiet heart was responsive but the enslaved heart was not. Jesus also seemed to polarize people during his life.
It makes me remember the verse in Luke 6 that says, "Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets." Getting along with everyone is much more inline with the American way. Who wants to be the "annoying religious guy"? Yet, truth be told, the non-polarizing guys never have the blessing of watching the Lydias come to faith; in fact, only those who truly and intentionally seek God get to see him at work during this life. I think the key is that Paul and Jesus did not go out of their way to be social porcupines; their message called for people to change and it was that message that made them polarizing. We now live in a time when calling someone to change is called "intolerance" and intolerance is the only thing society cannot tolerate today. So the challenge seems to be am I willing to risk letting the truth of the gospel (not some distorted way of presenting it but the core message itself) make me a polarizing agent or am I content with being a non-stand-out tolerant North American?
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