I meet all sorts of people when I travel, usually sitting by someone on an airplane. I’m not super chatty, but I say hello and ask how my fellow traveler is doing. I might as well be friendly, as I’m going to sit closer to this stranger for a few hours than I do anyone else in my life, save my wife. Odd when I think about it.

Paul met all sort of people in his travels as well. On a trip from Ephesus to Jerusalem, Paul’s band stopped in at the coastal city of Tyre and stayed with a group of disciples for a full week. Then they moved on and met a group of brothers and sisters in the faith at Ptolemais. Next they reached Caesarea and stayed with Phillip and his four unmarried daughters, all devout followers of Jesus.

A prophet named Agabus arrived with an unnerving message for Paul—trouble awaited in Jerusalem. Not swayed, they headed to Jerusalem anyway, only to stop at the house of Mnason, described as a Cypriot and one of the early disciples.

What stands out to me is not that Paul met followers of Jesus on his journey, but the sheer numbers of new Christians mentioned in this brief travelogue. Paul met and spent time with dozens and dozens of committed converts. The faith spread rapidly and incessantly.

In my travels I’ve had numerous spiritual conversations and met a number of committed followers of Jesus. I’ve also met lots of people with spiritual interest but wondering about ways to engage. It’s a privilege when they let me share a bit of my faith journey with them, and I trust the Holy Spirit to work in their lives.

I should stop being surprised by the committed Christians I meet. The true faith spread in Paul’s day, and spread ever since. Who knows what saint I might be squeezed against the next time I fly?

Acts 21 in reading the Bible cover to cover in 2022

Photo by Chris Brignola