We trust everyone survived their weekend-long bout with LMW (Lent Madness Withdrawal). We realize it's tough to make it through an entire two days devoid of saintly voting. Yet congratulations are in order as you have all made it through this agonizing "wilderness" experience. The good news is that another full week of intense Lent Madness action begins right now!
Be sure to check out Maple Anglican's latest video as Archbishops John and Thomas preview the week ahead and answer some viewer mail. And if that's not enough to get your Lent Madness jets going, we invite you to watch and re-watch the FOX News story about Lent Madness that aired all over the country this weekend.
Today we encounter a Biblical saint baptized by Paul and a fourth-century Ethiopian who embodies the whole idea of "once was lost and now am found." Lydia was a strong woman in faith and determination; Moses the Black was a strong man both spiritually and physically.
Lydia
Lydia is considered the first documented convert to Christianity in Europe. Yet for someone who had such a large impact on Christian history, what we know of Lydia’s story is slight. She appears only in Acts 14, praying by the river near Philippi, as Paul and Silas come by on their mission to Macedonia of preaching the gospel. Lydia listens attentively, volunteers for baptism along with her household, and insists that Paul and Silas stay at her house while they are in the neighborhood. We know Lydia was a God-fearer, a Gentile who worshipped the Jewish God but hadn’t officially converted. She lived in a town that didn’t have enough Jewish faithful to sustain a synagogue of its own, so they met outside by a river. Lydia was determined.
We know she was head of her household: Scholars differ on this, but the author of Luke and Acts never mentions a husband, and it is likely that if she had a husband, she would not have been running the business and making hospitality decisions as she did. Lydia was in charge.
We know she was prosperous. The purple dyes that she made were highly prized, [perhaps because one day it would become the official color of Lent Madness]. Used to color the textiles of royalty, the purple dye came from carnivorous sea snail mucous, and as one might imagine, the retrieval process was arduous and slow-going. (And I imagine it really irritated the snails.) So the resulting dye was incredibly expensive. The colloquialism for children of royalty was “born into purple.” Plus, given the root of her name, it is likely that she and her household moved at some point from Thyatira (located in modern Turkey) to Macedonia (in Greece), where she encountered Paul. That took money.
We know Lydia was hospitable: she welcomed Paul and Silas into her home after she heard them preach, and she provided for them out of her resources. It was out of this small beginning that the church of Philippi was born—and we later get the Letter to the Philippians. From her conversion, hospitality, providence, and generosity, on an entire continent sprung into the gospel.
Today, there is a church dedicated to Saint Lydia on the site where she was baptized, as well as several in Macedonia. She is a canonized saint in the Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches, with the Orthodox even titling her as “Equal to the Apostles.”
Lydia’s life of determined faithfulness resonates still through the ages, and bears fruit, even to today.
Collect for Lydia (and Dorcas and Phoebe)
Filled with your Holy Spirit, gracious God, your earliest disciples served you with the gifts each had been given: Lydia in business and stewardship, Dorcas in a life of charity and Phoebe as a deacon who served many. Inspire us today to build up your Church with our gifts in hospitality, charity and bold witness to the Gospel of Christ; who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Moses the Black
Also known as Moses of Ethiopia, Moses the Black was born around 330. As a young man, he left Ethiopia for adventures in Egypt. He found himself a servant to a wealthy Egyptian landowner. Moses would surreptitiously steal from his boss, lining his pockets with the profits. When the man discovered Moses’ perfidy, he expelled him from his house.
Moses, a large and formidable man, gathered around him other bandits. Together they robbed and harassed people living in the Egyptian countryside. As he was fleeing the authorities, he took refuge among monks in Sketes, a desert community outside of Alexandria. In time, inspired by their contented piety, Moses converted to Christianity and renounced his former ways of violence and carousing. Legend has it that four robbers once assaulted his monastery. Moses stood his ground, and with his bare hands, he unarmed and tied up the would-be thieves. He brought them to the other monks and asked their advice. Moses suggested that it would not be very Christian to repay violence with violence. The bandits were so moved by the compassion of the monks that they too joined the monastery.
On another occasion, Moses was summoned to a council to pass judgment on a brother who had committed a fault. Moses refused. Urged by the priests to join the council, Moses grabbed a leaking jug of water (some say it was sand) and carried it into the meeting. Perplexed by this, the brothers asked him what he was doing. He replied that like the trail of water, his sins follow behind him but he did not see them, and yet he was being asked to judge another man. The brothers were moved by this gesture and forgave the man straightaway.
Moses ultimately became abbot of a community in the desert and was later ordained a priest. In 405, he was warned of marauding Berbers from North Africa who intended to attack his monastery. Moses sent away all but six or seven of the monks and insisted to those who stayed that they not respond to any attack with violence. “Those who live by the sword die by the sword,” he reminded his brothers. He and the monks welcomed the bandits. All of the monks, including Moses, were killed.
Early church historian Samilinius Sozomen wrote of Moses the Black that “no one else ever made such a change from evil to excellence.” Moses is a shining example of the transformative power of the gospel. He is the patron saint of nonviolence.
Collect for Moses the Black
God of transforming power and transfiguring mercy: Listen to the prayers of all who, like Abba Moses, cry to you: “O God whom we do not know, let us know you!” Draw them and all of us from unbelief to faith and from violence into your peace, through the cross of Jesus our Savior; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
-- David Creech
Vote!
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196 comments on “Lydia vs. Moses the Black”
If there was a SNAIL LOBBY they'd vote Moses. me too.
like
Lydia is in Acts 16, not 14--but I voted for her nonetheless. I like them sitting by the river--stream of living water?
I see a consistent thread of women-centric voting here, so far it seems the vast majority of time that a woman is paired with a man in this "bracket style tournament" that the man in defeated. I wonder if that is a coincidence, I question whether each of the victorious women were deserving or whether the main element of their win, was their gender? I also see in the comments that people are saying some nasty things about some of the contestants involved, I really question whether that is necessary.
I just reviewed the brackets, apparently I have gone mad, please disregard my previous post, it is not such a disparity as what I thought it was,. I thought I would post my retraction before I get beaten down by the angry hordes who will be upset with my characterizations. I maintain my comment that we should not be saying nasty things about contestants involved.
I agree that nasty comments have no place -- how hard it is to say, "well, for me this was a no-brainer"? -- but I had to chuckle at your hasty retraction. 🙂
Thinking about Moses the Black reminds me of a Danish movie we just saw--Adam's Apples. I recommend it.
[…] teams to win a championship, we pit saints against each other to see who will win The Golden Halo. Today’s match-up includes one of my favorite women in the Bible: […]
Lydia is one of my favorite women in the Bible, and I have her winning The Golden Halo, so today was a no brainer for me. Of course I'm going with Lydia, a business woman (who was NOT the "biblical" stay-at-home mother) who was the first European Christian convert, and the first house church met in her home. She was possibly the first pastor of a Christian church in Europe. I've done a lot of study and writing on Lydia. You can find all my reasons for thinking she should The Golden Halo here: http://www.shawnaatteberry.com/2014/03/17/lydia-buisness-woman-and-home-church-pastor/
I will shed some light on Moses the Black, and vote for him. The holy Fool.
I'm an old peace loving hippie, so Moses is my kind of guy. He got my vote.
It was a really tough call to make! Both Lydia and Moses have wonderful qualities and serve as wonderful examples. I finally chose Lydia because she has been one of my heroes for a very long time, and because I have been inspired by her to be as hospitable as I can be, and to do a good job in my profession as well.
When nearly 1 out of every 100 people in the US are incarcerated, we need a saint who embodies restorative justice. Moses, pray for us!
Lydia almost had me at carnivorous sea snail mucous, but I was most impressed by Moses's apparently spontaneous ad lib analogy with the leaky jug.
I have always been a big fan of Lydia and think she is great role model. This is the first I have learned of Moses the Black - but he definitely gets my vote. What better role model for us today than the patron saint of nonviolence, a man who started life as a bandit and became one who taught others how to forgive sins and transform their lives, even laying his down rather than fight again?
Lydia is great, but I'm voting for Moses in honor of my Ethiopian-born daughter.
Finally had to go for Lydia, though I hope it ends up a closer race, because they are both admirable.
In Lydia I found someone who stepped out of what we nowadays would call her "comfort zone" in order to provide support for those who were doing a great work.
Moses should be the patron saint (if he isn't already) of those--of any ethnicity--who renounce gang life and put their energy toward living out a different kind of community.
How can Moses NOT get your vote. He turned his life around and influenced others in non-violence. Lydia was a wealthy head of a household who did not seem to make any sacrifices or influence others. Give me a break!
Lydia gets my vote. I had a genuine spiritual experience next to the stream in Philippi. Plus I like knowing about powerful women in the 1st C.
Initially I thought my vote would go to Lydia, the story of a man who saw the error of his ways and inspired change and compassion in others as well, now that is a man I can believe in. Yes, Lydia did the right thing and was a god-fearing person, but Moses was not originally but turned to that side. I know his story personally, in that of friends own lives, so I cannot give my vote to anyone but.
I found this one really difficult. Moses the Black's total commitment to nonviolence--being willing to die for it--is inspiring to me. His practice of forgiveness reminded me of Ramana Maharshi's question to his students who wanted to pursue and beat thieves who had beaten him: "When you bite your tongue, do you knock your teeth out?" In the end, Lydia's leadership as a first convert--and as an independent woman--really spoke to me personally though. And the purple snail mucus--that really takes the cake.
Moses impressed me but Lydia left her mark on her community and her Christian charity seemed to have few limits. I would wager that her hospitality was not just a one time thing.
Moses, the Black for me.
I find it frustrating that some of the pairs include one person about whom we have very little evidence, like a few verses in the Bible, and one person about whom we have a lot more information, even if some or much of the information about both may be apochryphal (sp?).
It would have worked out much better if, for example, Lydia had been paired with Joseph of Arimathea, as we have about the same amount of information about each.
Peace
Christine
Another thing I love about Lent Madness is that I am NOT in charge. I just have to go with the flow of the SEC or not participate, not read, not enjoy. I have a choice here, and can vote with my humor, or with my passion, or with sense of righteousness or education (but not all four at the same time because that would be stuffing the virtual ballot box). I just have to relinquish the pairings to the SEC and let the growing numbers of participants enjoy this in the same way I do - and they can judge me in casting their vote.
This is a very FUN, ENTERTAINING, TONGUE IN CHEEK, EDUCATIONAL game. Let's play it that way. No whining.
Can any body say AMEN!
I soooo agree with Susan!!
According to "Martyrdom of the Great Saint Anba Moses the Black" (found at http://www.copticchurch.net) Moses told all his monks "Whoever wants to escape, let him escape."
So the monks who remained with him must have chosen to do so. And as for the house of virgins, the fact that Antony's sister went on to become "the leader of other virgins" shows that she embraced that lifestyle (www.fordham.edu Athanasius Antony) [paragraph 54]
Oddly enough, while Lydia has the song "Lydia the tattooed lady" on her side, I also have a friend who has a tattoo of Moses the Black!
You do like to pour the hurting on, don't you? I'm deeply moved by Abba Moses, and I will make it a point to remember his example; but I have a standing personal commitment to increased visibility for the under-celebrated women of the Bible, of whom Lydia is certainly one.
Lydia gets my vote. She was a real woman and used her power effectively in a time when most women were just about chattel. Moses was exciting and excitable, but I've known a lot of men like that...haven't you?
My LM tie-breaker strategies if Celebrity Blurbs and prayerful consideration of values and themes still leave me undecided (like today):
1. Read Comments for inspiration
2. Vote for the underdog, just because
3. Consider What Would Hope and Skye Do?
4. Look to lions for endorsements (eg spontaneous burials or nom noms)
Today, it's an underdog vote for Moses (nonviolence and amendment of life) with an attagirl to Lydia (hospitality and the ministry of ministry support).
Jennifer, I love your strategy, and I love LM!!
I can't believe Moses is loosing... (now I feel like Karl Rove...) This guy was the MLK of his age... come on folks vote for the black civil rights leader!
can we please keep this gracious
Lydia has my vote. Don't know what kind of carnivorous sea snails she dealt with, but check out this YouTube video of one from NZ. Gutsy lady!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xNxQfVNVR8
Another vote for Moses the Ethiopian!
Eeewwww! Snail predators? Saints, preserve us!