Paul's Travels

One of the things that I appreciate about the Book of Acts is the first person, journal like nature of the parts that chronicle Paul's travels. This week's reading from Acts 16:9-15 is a good example of this,

During the night Paul had a vision: there stood a man of Macedonia pleading with him and saying, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’ When he had seen the vision, we immediately tried to cross over to Macedonia, being convinced that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them. We set sail from Troas and took a straight course to Samothrace, the following day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city for some days. On the sabbath day we went outside the gate by the river, where we supposed there was a place of prayer; and we sat down and spoke to the women who had gathered there. A certain woman named Lydia, a worshipper of God, was listening to us; she was from the city of Thyatira and a dealer in purple cloth. The Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul. When she and her household were baptized, she urged us, saying, ‘If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my home.’ And she prevailed upon us.

I have heard way too many expositions by Episcopal priests on Lydia and how she was an example for the modern successful business woman, blending career and heading the household. Extrapolations such as those are dangerous. When you hear them, question the motivations of the preacher. If promoting a feminist agenda is the goal, you can be certain that you are in for a long trip during that sermon with side excursions to many a revisionist port along the way.