March 26, 2021

Sharing from the Congregation – David Petty

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was an earthquake, so violent that the foundations of the prison ere shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened. —Acts 16:25-26

A prison escape always makes for a good story. Luke, that great storyteller, tells two such stories in the book of Acts (Chapters 5 and 12.) This is not one of them. Paul, Silas, and others, imprisoned at Philippi and given an obvious chance for escape, chose to not do so. We might wonder why.

The result of that choice was, as we know, that their jailor and his family were converted to Christianity. Perhaps Paul had reason to believe that would happen. Or perhaps the Holy Spirit told the prisoners to remain where they were (although usually in Acts the Spirit gets credit for what it does.).

But here could be another reason why they did not escape. Maybe they did not seek freedom because they already felt free. Maybe they realized that, whatever their earthly situation, their spirits were free from all bonds. That may have been why, like the sparrow on that old song, they were singing.

Years later, when Paul was in another prison, he sent a letter back to the church in Philippi, which by that time was flourishing. I wonder whether his previous jailer was present when the letter was read. In the epistle to the Philippians Paul speaks of joy rather than freedom, but under his circumstances it probably meant much the same thing.

Paul’s joy, like his freedom, was beyond the ability of the world to control. Most of us haven’t really been imprisoned recently — although it has felt that way just a bit — but it was Paul’s talent to use the extremes of his own experience to illustrate matters to others. If we can do the same our present suffering is a blessing.

Gracefully submitted,
David Petty