5 Easter - May 10, 2009

5 Easter B - 10 May 2009
Acts 8:26-40; 1 John 4:7-21; John 15:1-8
Ryan Page

A couple of summers ago I had the unique opportunity to go on a two week canoeing trip with my boy scout troop. There was about five scouts and three adults in my crew plus a guide to help us navigate. We had a guide because we were canoeing the boundary waters of the United States and Canada.

On the trek we could only take what we needed and nothing else. We had to make sure that all of our personal equipment could fit in a waterproof bag in order to minimize space and weight. Looking at the bag that I had to put my stuff in I was worried that it wouldn’t all fit, but somehow I managed to squeeze everything in. Everything that we would take into the Canadian wilderness would be packed out, including trash.

When I signed up for the trek I knew that for two weeks that we would have little contact with other people. Apart from the rest of the crew, we would be completely alone in the wilderness. We were going to be giving up the comforts of life in order to canoe. I was excited to go but I was nervous at the same time, we would be all alone, what if someone got hurt and needed medical attention. We were all trained in CPR but it still worried me.

In today’s reading form Acts, Philip came across a eunuch of an Ethiopian queen. He was reading the prophet Isaiah, specifically what Isaiah said about the crucifixion of Jesus. The eunuch did not understand what he was reading, he wanted someone to explain and guide him. Philip explained the reading to him and the eunuch believed. He was unwavering and set firm, so much that that he wanted to be baptized right there on the spot.

Philip was more than happy to help and granted the eunuch his wish. Afterwards Philip was immediately taken and swept away by the Holy Spirit to a far away place. It may seem like Philip was the main character in the story but in fact it is the eunuch. The eunuch was touched by the Holy Spirit, he believed in something that someone told him five minutes before, yet as soon as he heard it he believed with all of his heart.

It reminds me of one of my favorite songs by the Christian group Mainstay, the title of the song is “Believe”, the lyrics are as follows, “When all around me starts to fall, and when my faith seems so small, even in my darkest hour I will believe.” This was the kind of faith the eunuch had, unwavering and steadfast. He believed the fact that God sent his son to die for the sins of the world. It was this faith that led him to want to be baptized by Philip. By being baptized by Philip he secured his relationship with God.

God’s love is everywhere and is in everything. God is love and when we love we know God. In today’s Gospel reading Jesus states, “Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.” This means that those who truly abide in Jesus truly know God ant truly know love. God showed his love for us by
sending his son for us. Jesus is the perfect representation of love and by knowing and believing in Jesus we know love.

The eunuch truly knew love because he had so much faith. By becoming baptized he made sure that he could proclaim Gods love to others so they might know Jesus and therefore God’s love.

While I was canoeing I saw some of the most beautiful sights. The wilderness completely pristine, never touched my the hands of man. Being there gave me such a sense of peace and serenity. The thing that I remember most about that place was the deep colors and how vivid they were, the greens of the trees and the blues of the water and sky were so bright that it hurt my eyes.

After a couple of days of the trip I knew that I had fallen in love. I fell in love with the beautiful scenery, the peacefulness, and the quiet. I loved how clean the air was when I breathed it in. I loved how the water could be as still and smooth as glass in the morning. I loved that every star could be seen as I looked up into the night sky. As soon as I laid my eyes on how beautiful that place was my fears began to dissipate.

I knew that I was seeing the work of God and I knew he had created it through love. I knew that He would not let any anything harm us while we were in his beautiful creation. Being there made me realized that God truly loved us and he really sent his son for us as the ultimate act of love. By loving others we are spreading God’s love and like the eunuch, in his act of baptism, we are strengthening our relationship with God. We bear fruit, and we share it with others by the simple act of love.

© 2009, Ryan Page