There are not many folks tuned into the news these days that would be unaware of where to find Israel and Gaza. Unfortunately, the reason why is tragic and upsetting. However, it’s easy to forget how old these parts of the world are in the context of biblical history. In our first reading this morning, the Spirit of God leads Philip out into the desert between Jerusalem and Gaza (a driving distance today of about 62 miles, but Google Maps isn’t even willing to provide driving directions today perhaps due to the current geopolitical unrest in the region). While traveling on the road Philip encounters an Ethiopian convert to Judaism who is trying to make sense of Isaiah’s prophecies about the Messiah. God never makes mistakes and this encounter was no accident! Acts 8:35 says: “Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus.” After baptizing this man, Philip is “carried away by the Spirit of the Lord” lands in Azotus, and then preaches all along the way to Caesarea (Google Maps says it’s about a 22 hour walk). In our Gospel text, Jesus tells us how HE is the Vine and WE are the branches. “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:4-5)

Philip and the Ethiopian’s experience together in Acts 8 grant us an opportunity to see what this looks like in the scope of God’s vision. No matter how tempting it may be or how much we might do so unintentionally, God can not and will not be kept in a box. He does not abide by our plans and desires, WE abide in HIS. Sometimes He picks us up and redirects us to another path. Other times He puts the people in our way that we are called to share His story with. What fruit do you bear from THE Vine? The sweetest kind, the kind that feeds body AND soul, the kind that comes straight from the heart of God.

The real question is:
Who’s hungry?!?

“In this is love, not that we have loved God
but that he loved us and sent his Son
to be the propitiation for our sins.
Beloved, if God so loved us, we also
ought to love one another.”
(John 15:10-11)