Amy and All the Widows

All the Widows

All the widows stood beside him weeping and showing...(Acts 9: 39)

This morning I am reflecting on the passage from Acts that the church heard on the fourth Sunday of Easter - Good Shepherd Sunday. You can read it here 

It is the story of the resurrection of a disciple named Tabitha - known as Dorcas in Greek. What I hear today concerns the community of widows who - though weeping at the loss of their beloved Tabitha/Dorcas - are participating in the resurrecting work of God. In their grief they are vital leaders - disciples themselves - through which the power of God is at work. The widows as a community call for Peter, the widows as a community call for the healing power of resurrection, the widows as a community proclaim the resurrecting power of God that they themselves have participated in.

I am praying with these widows today. So often in Scripture "the widow" is named alongside 'the orphan," "the poor," "the oppressed," 'the afflicted," "the imprisoned," as recipients only of the good will of others. The risk is to think of these folks as anonymous, nameless, passive recipients of others' love and care and concern. Yet in this passage I see and experience the widows as loving and caring as leaders, as participants, as discerners, as decision makers, as vital and significant actors in the mission of God. It suggests that Peter would not be able to raise Tabitha/Dorcas without the widows. 

I wonder how you hear this today.