The bold truth of Stephen – December 26
Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 28, 30; 2 Chronicles 24:17-22; Acts 6:1-7; PM Psalm 118; Wisdom 4:7-15; Acts 7:59-8:8
During the season of Christmas excitement, my parents would turn on the record player. The sounds would fill our back living room, the cozy family space in the house where we had our Christmas tree. My sisters and I would dance, sing along, or play with our stuffed animals, trying to discern which wrapped presents contained our hoped-for gifts – and which were just pajamas. “Good King Wenceslas” by Bing Crosby is one of those standards that sticks in my head from those times. It was one of the few songs I enjoyed playing on the piano, for its jaunty tune and key progression were easy to remember (though I was never sure I was pronouncing Wenceslas correctly).
The history of the song tells us that Wenceslas was royalty from Bohemia (a region of modern-day Germany). He was the son of Charles IV, the Holy Roman Emperor in the 1300s. The song tells of an act of compassion: on the Feast of Stephen on a frosty, frozen night, the prince looked outside and saw a poor man who was hungry and in need. Wenceslas’ actions of folklore resemble those of Stephen, the first of the deacons and martyrs in Christian history.
In Acts today, we hear portions of Stephen’s story. There was tension in the proto-Christian community between the Greek and the Hebrew followers of the Way. Word on the street was that the holy people were not attending to the needs of the Greek widows who were hungry. Maybe they were overwhelmed. Maybe there was prejudice at play. Maybe they did not want to get their hands dirty. Whatever the case among these beautifully broken humans, God broke in, so that more might have a role in serving the causes of the Lord. Seven were appointed to attend to the temporal needs of the whole community. Stephen gets top billing – and for a reason.
When you read the entirety of Acts 6 and 7, you get a sense of Stephen’s passion, knowledge, and power, as he tapped into the gifts of the Holy Spirit through his ministry and proclamation of truth. He was full of grace and the power of God as he healed, fed the hungry, and preached the truth of God’s long-present call to faithfulness. Stephen also pointed to the lapses in faithfulness of the leaders of the Temple:
“You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you are for ever opposing the Holy Spirit, just as your ancestors used to do. Which of the prophets did your ancestors not persecute? They killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, and now you have become his betrayers and murderers. You are the ones that received the law as ordained by angels, and yet you have not kept it.” (Acts 7:51-53)
Stephen spoke God’s truth, and, unlike the lovely Wenceslas tune that heralds the Feast of Stephen, his words were not welcomed. He was stoned to death in the street.
And yet, as Christians, we follow in the footsteps of Stephen as a source of inspiration, and an example of what living into the life and ministry of Jesus looks like. We aspire to unabashed truth-telling. We aspire to compassionate care for the hungry. We yearn for the hope that in doing the work God calls us to do, we might be filled with grace and truth, like Stephen. And perhaps, some of you kind folks reading this reflection have worshipped at a parish that bears the name of this saint and martyr.
Living into the legacy of Saint Stephen, let us continue to understand and speak the truth, care for those in need, and share the love of God in all that we do.
Merry Christmas!
-- Katherine+
Questions for Reflection
When has someone spoken truth to you and you felt uncomfortable? What effect did that have on you?
When have you shared truth with another and it was not well received? Would you do it again?
Daily Challenge
Read Acts 6 and 7. Reflect on Stephen's telling of the history of God's people. Listen for where you have been faithful. Where might you grow in Christ's light to continue serving those in need?