How can you reach out to people with whom you have nothing in common? It’s never been easy to communicate across racial, cultural and socio-economic barriers, but that was Paul’s challenge in today’s passage.

Sure, he had been accustomed to taking the gospel to Jewish people who had never heard about Jesus before. But most of the time, he had gathered a core group of new Christians by preaching in the synagogues. This had allowed him to appeal to his fellow Jews’ knowledge of the Old Testament, to show them how Jesus had fulfilled all the ceremonies of the Law of Moses as well as so many of the predictions of the prophets. In short, he took advantage of his racial and cultural similarities with his audience, and appealed to them to accept the Messiah they were so eagerly awaiting.

But there weren’t many similarities between Paul and the first person who came to faith on the continent of Europe. He was Jewish, and Lydia was a Gentile. He was a poor tent-maker and rabbi, and Lydia was a dealer in the most expensive and luxurious of ancient commodities – purple dye that was only used by the very wealthy. He was a man, and she was a woman – and that was a big deal, as both the Ancient Jewish and Greek communities offered few opportunities for women to engage in public life.

And yet there was one point of contact between them – Lydia was a worshipper of God. Thus, even though she was a Gentile, she wanted to know about the God of the Jews. Even though she had not yet converted to Judaism, she was moving in the right religious direction. We might thus expect her to want to hear what this wandering rabbi had to say.

But the most important factor in Lydia’s conversion wasn’t Paul’s learning or her own interest. No, in verse 14, we read that it was the Lord Who opened her heart to receive Paul’s words. Just so, unless God opens the eyes of the blind and the ears of the deaf, nothing we can say about Jesus will get through, regardless of whatever cultural similarities we might share with our listeners.

Perhaps God will place someone of a different culture, a differen race, a different gender or a different generation in your path today, someone who needs to hear the good news of Jesus or see His love in action. Don’t assume you can’t communicate. Instead, pray that God would open his or her heart to Jesus – and then dive in. Step across those boundaries and share the love and truth of Christ. Who knows what God may do?

Acts 16:11-15 (ESV)

11 So, setting sail from Troas, we made a direct voyage to Samothrace, and the following day to Neapolis,
12 and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city some days.
13 And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together.
14 One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.
15 And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.