"Voices from Scripture" is a work of fiction based on some references in Scripture to "minor" characters. As the Bible gives us few lines about these people, this series imagines what they would have been like, their personality, and what their thoughts could have been in the situations mentioned.

By KWA KIEM KIOK

IT'S nice to sit down with a hot drink after a difficult day, though I suppose it's all partly my fault.


But if that Syntyche hadn't … no, I mustn't think that way. Clement was very clear when he said that we had to forgive and work together again in our little church.
Forgiveness means that we must put the "but she … " aside. I didn't realise that forgiveness was so public as well, which was the point of having the worship and the Lord's Supper together tonight. So that in front of all the others we could say words of peace and blessing to each other and mean it.


I didn't realise that our disagreement would have such far-reaching effects until Paul wrote to us about it. I shouldn't blame Epaphroditus for mentioning it to him; after all Paul knows many of us here. Looking back now, I see that I'd allowed my differences with Syntyche coloured everything I thought about her. To be fair she is a good teacher and wonderfully hospitable. So I do give her credit for that; but Paul said that wasn't the point.


In humility regard others as better than yourself. I see now I was conceited, thinking that I was more hospitable than Syntyche. Sometimes these words really hit you. Dear Paul, I do like him even though he can be quite hard-hitting.


The thing is that our disagreement meant that the whole church suffered and our collective witness was tarnished. Yes, Paul is right. We have enough to contend with like the trade guilds who want our people to join their idol feasts, and rich people who don't like us being friendly with the slaves. There are so few of us, we should be shining like stars in a dark world, and yet, here are two of us bickering away over small issues!


And that's what he was also saying, isn't it? That it wasn't just the two of us arguing, it affected our whole community. Not just because Syntyche and I were leaders, it's that we are all part of the body and a dissension in one part affects the whole. Clement was right to say that we should have communion together, for I remember Paul saying that by the wine we are reconciled to God, and the one bread means we are all one with each other.


I know, I shall ask Syntyche, Lydia and Hannah to come tomorrow for a meal, the four of us again, just like we used to. Maybe we'll discuss Paul's letter again.
(The Letter to the Philippians, especially 4:1).

Kwa Kiem Kiok, a member of Trinity Methodist Church, is on sabbatical at Asbury Theological Seminary in Kentucky, the United States.