Roads Less Traveled: Acts 7–8 in Motion

Today’s reading in Acts 7–8 captures a major turning point. Stephen’s speech before the council tells a sweeping story of Israel’s history, ending with his own execution. What follows is unexpected: “A great wave of persecution began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem; and all the believers except the apostles were scattered through the regions of Judea and Samaria” (Acts 8:1, NLT). Rather than halting the movement, persecution seems to set it in motion.

Philip: The Reluctant Road Warrior

The narrative moves quickly from Stephen’s death to Philip’s travels. Philip is first in Samaria, where he speaks to crowds and heals people, and later he is sent to a deserted road where he meets the Ethiopian eunuch. The Spirit prompts him to go to this stranger’s chariot, leading to a conversation about scripture and an impromptu baptism. These stories create a sense of constant movement—disciples leaving familiar places, traveling into new territories, and meeting unexpected people.

This part of Acts challenges me to see the early Christian community less as a settled group and more as a movement constantly on the road. Persecution forces them out of Jerusalem, but the narrative doesn’t frame this purely as tragedy. It feels like a shift, a way for the message to reach beyond its starting point. There’s a tension here: these chapters don’t glorify violence or upheaval, but they do show how disruption can create opportunities for growth and connection.

Conversations on Dusty Roads

Philip’s story in particular feels dynamic. He doesn’t seem to have a long-term plan or a clear agenda, yet he is responsive. When told to go to Samaria, he goes. When prompted to approach a stranger’s chariot, he listens. His openness leads to a deeply personal exchange with someone from an entirely different world. It’s a reminder that faith, at least as presented here, isn’t tied to a single place or a single culture. It moves along roads, crosses boundaries, and adapts to whoever is willing to listen.

There’s also a contrast between the chaos of persecution and the intentionality of Philip’s actions. While the believers scatter under threat, Philip’s encounters feel purposeful, almost as if unpredictability is part of the story’s design. This tension raises questions: Is the movement’s spread a result of human planning, or does it emerge organically through circumstance and response? Does disruption open new paths in ways stability never could?

Scattered Seeds

What stands out most in Acts 7–8 is how quickly the narrative expands its reach. The community moves from being centered in Jerusalem to touching Samaria, Gaza, and Ethiopia. Each step seems unplanned, yet each encounter feels significant. This makes me think about the nature of change: how much of life’s movement is beyond our control, and yet how often meaning is found along these unplanned roads.

Reading these chapters, I see a story about transition and mobility. It’s not a triumphant march forward, but a scattering of people carrying ideas, relationships, and stories with them. Faith here isn’t rooted in buildings or rituals—it’s carried in conversations and encounters, on dusty roads, through uncertainty and change.