One would think that the first Gentile convert (specifically mentioned in Acts) would have been won by an apostle. And rather than being “led to the Lord” by one of the apostles there in Jerusalem, or even by Peter or John in a Samaritan city, he was converted through Philip, who was divinely directed to him in that remote desert place. And yet he was not saved in Jerusalem, but in the desert. Here was a man who had just been to Jerusalem, to worship the God of Israel there. The conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch is similar, as I read this text in the eighth chapter of the Book of Acts. That amused me because he had spent a fair bit of time in prison for dealing in stolen car parts. It suddenly occurred to me, as I was standing there in the darkness, clothes hanger in hand, that my friend was holding the light, and I was doing the breaking in. It is strange how things like this work out, isn’t it? It reminds me of another time, when I was helping a friend “break into” his truck. In effect, she wanted an honest “second story man.” I guess that was me. She wanted someone to help her break in, but she also wanted some assurance that the person who did so was trustworthy. It only later occurred to me that there might be a connection between this neighbor’s asking if we were from the church and her asking if we could help her break into her own house. I told him that I managed to get in in less than a minute. In less than a minute she was back in her house, pleased to be in so easily, but a little distressed to see the ease with which I got past her front door lock. I told the woman I would be delighted to help her “break in” to her house if she would not tell anybody what I had done. Do you suppose that you could help us get back into the house?” David knew that I had some skill in this area, and so he went on back to his work. She seemed satisfied by this and followed up with this request: “My husband and I went out for a walk and accidentally locked ourselves out of the house.

As David Mills and I were standing in front of the church talking, a woman who lives across the street from the church walked up to us and asked, “Do you men attend this church?” We told her we both were members of the church. This week I spent a great deal of time working on the church grounds-something I do not usually do.

Not querious