Acts 16 - Lydia

Again a list of place names, an itinerary of a journey, but the story is about a person. When Paul and Silas settle in Philippi for a number of days, they head to the synagogue and then to the riverside. They speak with a number of people there including a woman named Lydia. Lydia is a “seller of purple cloth”. In other words, she is likely fairly well off. She is also identified as “a worshiper of God”. That’s interesting. This identification comes before her conversion. 
There is something there for us. 
It can be all too easy and frequent that people are identified as not worshiping God unless they worship like we do. To be sure, in this story there is still a conversion. Lydia’s heart was opened, she was illumined by the Holy Spirit. Before that, though, she was already a worshiper of God. 

Dear God;
Would you expand our view of people who see things differently than we do? Would you allow us to see past the surface to the heart? Help us to see how people who believe differently than us so often do seek good in the world. And as we see, Holy Spirit, would you exalt the name and presence of Jesus Christ not to divide us from others, but to bring us together? 
In Jesus’ name. 
Amen.