“Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us, beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection.”
Acts 1:21-22 (NIV)

Over the centuries, followers of Jesus in many different varieties have adopted certain texts that are regularly used in corporate gatherings. One of them is known as the Apostle’s Creed, which is a statement of core beliefs. Among the stated beliefs is that of “the holy catholic Church.” For those of the Protestant persuasion, this statement prompts a lot of head-scratching. “Wait a minute. We’re not Catholic!?”

The word catholic is an adjective meaning “broad or wide-ranging in tastes, interests, or the like; having sympathies with all; broad-minded; liberal.” The Apostles Creed isn’t referring to the institution of the Roman Catholic Church, but rather it is referring to all believers around the globe of every persuasion.

Along my journey, it has been my observation that most believers don’t give this specific belief statement much thought. We tend to think in terms of our particular silo like loyal fans of a particular sports team. We stay in our lane, attend our team’s gatherings, and largely don’t think much about the other teams in our league, let alone in other leagues around the world. Yet, the Great Story ends with a picture of eternity in which there are people of “every tribe and language and people and nation.”

Today we begin our chapter-a-day trek through the Acts of the Apostles or just Acts. It is the history of the early Jesus Movement from Jesus’. resurrection through the first, roughly, thirty years. It is written by Dr. Luke, the same man who investigated and wrote an account of Jesus’ story that we know by his name, Luke. A physician by vocation, Luke became a follower of Jesus whose investigation into the Jesus story led him to become an associate of the Apostles. He eventually traveled with the Apostle Paul, writing some of Acts of the Apostles as an eyewitness account of what happened.

What struck me in Luke’s opening chapter was his mention of just how many followers were around during Jesus’ resurrection and in the earliest days of the Movement. I tend to think just in terms of the eleven disciples (the Twelve, minus Judas) and the Marys who were at the tomb. Luke describes about a hundred and twenty people who were regularly meeting together with Jesus’ disciples after the resurrection. When it came time to fill Judas’ open position in the Twelve, the stipulation was that it had to be a person who had been a follower and member of Jesus’ entourage from His baptism all the way through to His resurrection. There were enough of them that two were appointed who then drew straws.

I contemplated these 120 unnamed, largely forgotten believers. Many of them had been just as faithful in following Jesus throughout His ministry as the Twelve had been. It wasn’t just the Twelve and a few women who interacted with the risen Jesus. In his letter to the believers in Corinth, Paul states the total number of people who witnessed the risen Jesus was around 500 over the 40 days between His resurrection and ascension. Paul even states that most of them were still alive if the Corinthians wanted to corroborate his statement.

In the quiet this morning, I meditated on the fact that relatively few individuals got mentioned and top billing in the history of the Jesus Movement. There was a whole host of unknown, unmentioned followers who had their own personal Jesus story. They were a crucial part of participating in and carrying out Jesus’ mission. It is not unlike the realization of what it means when I say the Apostles Creed and state that I believe in the “holy, catholic Church.” I’m stating that I believe there are fellow believers of different persuasions around the world, but do I really think about them in more than a mental acknowledgment that they exist?

For the past several years, Wendy and I have regularly prayed for a group of orphans being raised in an orphanage on the other side of the world. We have photos and names of each one of the orphans in a little photo album. We pray for them each by name as part of our daily prayers. We support the work that is providing for them. It’s amazing how, over time, our prayers have led to genuine care and concern for them. It’s a small thing, but it’s a tangible way to put action to our belief statement. If I really believe what I say I believe, I want to be both mindful and active in supporting all of the unknown and (to me) anonymous disciples around the world.

If you know anyone who might be encouraged by today’s post, please share.