Acts 8:9-12 (New Living Translation)

"A man named Simon had been a sorcerer there for many years, amazing the people of Samaria and claiming to be someone great.  Everyone, from the least to the greatest, often spoke of him as "the Great One – the Power of God."  They listened closely to him because for a long time he had astounded them with his magic.  But now the people believed Philips's message concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ.  As a result, many men and women were baptized."

Reflection by Kenneth L. Samuel

My earliest recollections of church are from the little church my family attended in Darlington, South Carolina.  Sitting in the pew as a little boy, I remember gazing up at the beautiful stained glass, veiled by a sheer curtain and illuminated by a light that was not the sun. Day or night, this stained glass behind the sheer curtain gave heavenly light to the small sanctuary. I was convinced that heaven was behind that stained glass.  Sometimes I could see shadowy silhouettes moving behind it, and I was certain they were the souls of the dearly departed saints of the church, hovering near.

One day when I was a little older, my aunt took me behind the veiled stained glass (she knew not what she was doing).  There I saw not the light of heaven, but an old spotlight aimed at the glass in a plain old room with an old wood floor.  As the magic of what I had believed for so long died, I asked my aunt: "What goes on back here?"  "Back here people get dressed and prepare themselves for baptism," she replied.  "Oh," I said.  But by then, all the magic was expired.

In the city of Samaria, a man named Simon had a reputation for dazzling people with his magic and sorcery.  The Samaritans gave him the title of "The Great One – the Power of God."  But when the disciple Philip came to town, preaching the Gospel of Christ, all the magic stopped.  Simon's shows shut down.  No more eye-popping tricks to leave the onlooker astounded.

The magic was gone, but the miracle had just begun.  The Samaritans were ready to receive the real good news of the gospel and partake of the miracle of God's love through baptism. The miracle of the gospel is the motivation to seek truth even after the magic is invalidated.

Christmas magic is found in a million frosted evergreens, bedazzled in sparkling lights, surrounded with gifts wrapped in yuletide cheer.  But the Christmas miracle can only be found in the divine incarnation of a lowly child, born into an oppressed class of people.  Easter magic is in the bunnies, the colorful eggs and the pretty bonnets.  But the Easter miracle is still an empty grave after a public execution.  The magic of romance fills the air with flickering candles, beautiful ballads and ribbons in the sky.  But the miracle of romance is the willingness to keep cherishing the one you love long after the initial infatuation has dissipated.

The magic died the day I discovered what was really behind that veiled stained glass in my little church.  But the miracle began the moment I realized that even though that room was not heaven, people used it to prepare themselves for baptism anyway.

Prayer

Dear God, despite our many disillusionments and disappointments, help us to continue the miracle of your love, sacrifice and redemption.  For real.  Amen. 

About the Author Kenneth L. Samuel is Pastor of Victory for the World Church, Stone Mountain, Georgia.