There’s a great story about the earliest church–Peter’s in jail and about to be executed. The church is having round the clock prayer for his safety. Late one night the prayer meeting is interrupted by the arrival of a stranger at the gate. The servant who answers is so surprised that she leaves the man there and runs back to tell the prayer group.
Peter’s at the gate! She declares and everyone thinks she’s nuts. “How could it be Peter–he’s in jail; that’s why we’re praying for him.”
What strikes me is the humor of this whole event. Peter is anxiously knocking at the gate, the servant girl is telling the pray-ers that the answer is waiting outside, and the pray-ers are certain that God surely wouldn’t be able to answer their prayers in this way.
It’s a great story.
It occurs to me, however, that if it were only a story, Peter wouldn’t have to be kicked awake by the angel (really, that’s what happens), the girl wouldn’t haver forgotten to let him in, the church wouldn’t have so obviously doubted their own prayers and everyone would have come off looking a whole lot better.
It’s just one of those ’stranger than fiction’ moments that helps me to remember that the Bible accounts are way too awkward to be someone’s fabrication. Score one for revelation!
Victor
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