The Bible illustrates the law of unintended consequences. According to the Acts of the Apostles, the early church formed the group called deacons in order to provide material care for the Greek-speaking widows. But “you cannot imprison the word of the Lord” so the newly formed deacons immediately expanded their mission and began preaching. As we read in the story of St. Stephen, the first martyr, this caused great tension in Jerusalem. It was bad enough that some of their own countryman were talking about this Jesus. To have an outsider proclaiming the message caused a violent reaction on the part of the authorities. The lesson for us: when we respond to God’s invitation to serve we will find ourselves stretched in unintended ways.
MAY12017
By Church Staff
