Fr Robert Hendrickson

“All the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing tunics and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was with them.”

Dear Friends in Christ,

The line about is one of my favorite in Scripture. The story in Acts todays is such a lovely one. Dorcas (also known as Tabitha in her native tongue) was a follower of Jesus who had recently died. She was known for the care she showed for widows and orphans and made them clothes.

Widows and orphans were at the bottom of the social ladder. Yet here was this woman whose name has come down to us for 2,000 years because she spent her time and resources making clothes for them. They were so moved by her generosity that they rushed to meet Peter when he arrived in town.

They rushed to show him these garments she had made for them. It’s a lovely, real, and tender moment. You can almost here them saying, “she went too soon” or “she was too good to us to be gone.”

Peter is moved by these simple testimonials about the love Dorcas had shown to each of them. The Scripture tells us, “Peter put all of them outside, and then he knelt down and prayed. He turned to the body and said, ‘Tabitha, get up.’ Then she opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up. He gave her his hand and helped her up. Then calling the saints and widows, he showed her to be alive.”

There may be no better testimonial, in two or ten or two thousand years to our lives than for us to be remembered for being faithful and for taking time to clothe someone who needs it. We know of her only that she lived, she believed, she helped those in need, and she received the gift of new life. If that’s all that is said of any of us, it will be more than enough — it will be all that the Lord asks of us.

Yours in Christ,

Fr Robert