Acts 18:12-17
English Standard Version (ESV)
Supreme Court rulings are interesting to me -- so much depends on how 9 people are interpreting a case. People gather around the court and wait to see if something will be allowed or not. Their rulings truly echo through generations, as they either enable or ban certain activities.
As Christians, we're called to be good citizens, but we aren't called to sit around and wait for us to receive permission from others to share our faith. Just imagine if Paul and the apostles had gone through all the proper diplomatic channels to begin telling the story of faith. They could have followed the approval channel up through the proper delegates before hopefully having a hearing in Rome to get the blessing of the right people. All along the way, the opposition could have tried to derail the movement.
Instead, Paul and the apostles went forth and proclaimed the Gospel, overcoming hurdles as they appeared. They were dragged to court and arrested and persecuted, but all along they followed their conviction and proclaimed the Gospel in love. They were not violent or cruel - they took whatever was handed out, always focusing on the Gospel, not allowing themselves to be distracted.
So let us not wait for the time when all is right. Instead, may we follow the call of the Gospel to spread the love of God in word and deed in all we do.
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