Acts 4:32-37
Sharing faith that Jesus heals at the beginning of chapter 3 of Acts, ends with a global statement describing this early fellowship of followers of Jesus. Sharing faith became the sharing of life resources so no one was in need. Individually our ability to impact drastic situations is limited. None of us can do it alone. But when we start working together, suddenly hope appears. The news this morning shared the testimony of the impact on Europe of thousands of Ukrainian refugees who have not drained Europe’s resources but been a blessing.
The chapter ends with the introduction of a man who became known as Barnabas, son of encouragement. He evidently sold a field and offered the money to the group. His story does not end here because he becomes a traveling companion of Paul on Paul’s missionary journeys. But I am intrigued by his nickname, Barnabas. My husband was called “Twiga” that means giraffe in Swahili because he was the tallest kid in the class, reaching 6 ft. 6 in. My sister was called Blondie by my father because….she was blonde…a bit obvious. And I was Curly because I had curly hair. Usually our pet names are chosen by others because of qualities or characteristics they see in us.
Perhaps think of one of your nicknames and why it was given or perhaps think about what nickname you would like to be known by if you could. It’s kind of like picking your epitaph. I heard a lecture once that you are not ready to live until you are ready to die and so picking what you would like to be known for is a good exercise. Think about it and commit the matter to God in prayer.
On the Way to Wonder 