Exploring Acts and the Growth of the Church    

Answer

Exploring Acts and the Growth of the Church

The Journey of Paul

                From a prosecutor to one of the most vibrant messengers of God, the apostle Paul travelled over 10,000 miles proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ. His journey, both in land and on the sea, primarily took him through the present-day countries of Israel, Turkey, Syria, and Greece; a journey through which he encountered various challenges and diverse cultures all across every church he planted.  This article seeks to explicate the characteristics of the cultures he encountered in the three major parts of his holy journey while also documenting the issues he faced while teaching in those churches.

                For the first part of his journey, Paul embarked with Barnabas to proclaim the word in Antioch. Before this, they passed through Iconium, Lystra, and Derba and finished the first part of their journey in Antioch – that is present day West Central Turkey. At this place, Paul encountered different calibers of people, who brought with them unique set of challenges. First, as they were passing though Paphos, they encountered a blasphemous preacher and a sorcerer whom Paul rebuked. In Antioch, they were well welcomed as the leaders offered them a place to preach to the people about Jesus Christ. However, there were some Jews who spoke against Paul and Barnabas, claiming that their teachings were blasphemous. To this, Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly saying “We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles” (Acts 13:46, NIV). Even more so, some Jews stoned Paul to the point of death because of his preaching (Acts 14:19).

                Barnabas and Paul later separated due to a disagreement (Acts 15:36-40) after which Barnabas returned to Cypress. As Paul was going to revisit the churches in Lystra and Iconium, he had a dream to bring the gospel to Macedonia. As he was travelling there, Paul attempted to preach the word in Athens, where he was met with polite indifference, a people that disagreed with him politely (Acts 17:16-32). In Philippi, Paul and Silas were imprisoned for casting out demons from a woman, where they were lashed more than was the normal custom. Later on, he went to Corinth and established the church there. In Ephesus, he also managed to convert many individuals – to the dismay of the local charm dealers (Acts 19:21-40).

Paul’s Appeal to Caesar

                Having have been in opposition with the Jews, Paul was accused before Festus, the new Roman governor. However, the fact that the case had reached that far was a mystery and the greater mystery is that it would go even further to Caesar himself. Having have escaped a plot to kill him, Paul did not want to fall into the arms of the Jews. Therefore, he appealed to the higher court, to Caesar himself. However, many scholars have believed this to be a mistake, claiming that he would have been freed had he waited rather than sent to Rome. But did he make a mistake? I tend to disagree.

                When the high priest and the chief of the Jews requested that Paul be sent to Jerusalem, they had a plot to kill him along the way. Even more so, it was well known that Paul had committed no crime against the Jewish law, who would do anything to ensure his demise. On the other hand, Festus was determined to listen to both sides of the arguments, following the Roman law. However, instead of declaring Paul innocent, Festus decides to find favor before the Jewish leaders, asking that the case be listened in Jerusalem. Considering the previous demands of the Jewish leaders, this would have been fatal for Paul, a death sentence. It was, therefore, both wise and appropriate to appeal to Caesar.

                Through this, Paul not only reveals his integrity but also unmasks the failings of the governor – claiming that he would not refuse to die if he is found guilty. Through offering a change in venue and thus a change in jurisdiction, the governor failed to uphold the roman law. Therefore, Paul’s shrewdness enables him to overcome the governor’s failings and the fatal results that it would likely produce. Consequently, his decision was never a mistake but a spirit guided decision.

4

Claudia Gordon the make to the Deaf community and the hearing community

QUESTION

What contributions did Claudia Gordon the make to the Deaf community and the hearing community?    

ANSWER

Claudia Gordon’s Contribution to the Deaf /Hearing Community

Claudia Gordon stands out as one of the key figures in former President Obama’s administration, playing a vital role as far as issues of disability were concerned. Presently, she works with Sprint Accessibility as director of government and compliance. The company offers communication services as well as products aimed at reducing or eliminating communication barriers for people living with disabilities. This paper examines her contribution to the deaf (and hearing) community.

Claudia graduated from Howard University in 1995 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. Also, she went to the American University’s Washington College of Law, later becoming the first deaf black woman attorney in the US. Her interest and resolve in matters of rights and advocacy seem to have developed through her own life experiences, since, being deaf herself, she experienced a lot of discrimination. Having been born in rural Jamaica, her mother (moved to New York and) left her in the care of Mildred Taylor, her eldest sister who worked as a teacher (Rodriguez par 2). Misfortune befell her when, at the age of eight, she developed immense pain in her ears, which culminated in her being deaf. Following this development, she faced a lot of discrimination and stigmatization, just as most deaf and/or disabled people. This experience shaped her perspective that there ought to be equality for all, disabled or not, and motivated her to seek a career in which she would play a role in making things better for the deaf and disabled lot.

Indeed, Claudia has had a great impact on both the deaf and hearing communities. Her contribution in this manner is most noticeable through the roles she has played in her career, earning her many honors and awards. Her advocacy work enabled her to earn many awards while at Howard University, a trend that continued when she later joined American University (Rodriguez par 3).  Her contribution in working with disabled people and championing for their rights was acknowledged through the many awards she received, a good example being the Skadden Fellowship award, which was integral in enabling her secure a placement at the National Association of the Deaf Law and Advocacy Center. Here, she provided “direct representation and advocacy for poor deaf persons, with a particular emphasis on outreach” to minority groups (Rodriguez par. 5). After working as a consultant with the National Council on Disability, she joined the Department of Homeland Security as a senior policy advisor.  In this position, she was tasked with “enforcing executive orders for individuals with disabilities in emergency preparedness situations”, a good example being Hurricane Katrina (Yeheyes par 5). In such calamities, she played a leading role in ensuring that the needs of deaf and disabled people in general were met.  In fact, her role in this regard was so exemplary that she earned recognition as well as the Gold Medal Award and the Hurricane Response Award in 2005.  She also worked with the National Black Deaf Advocates as vice president. In this and other capacities, she was involved in championing for the rights of not just the black deaf community but the disabled community in general. Through her work, she pushed for equity for the deaf community and by so doing changed the hearing community’s perspective on the deaf and disabled. The hearing community’s appreciation of her efforts has been evident through the positions she has held in and outside government, where she has helped shape policy and the overall narrative on the position of the disabled in society.

By and large, Claudia’s interaction with the hearing community, save for the discrimination and stigmatization she faced as a child in Jamaica, has been positive. This is evidenced by the fact that the hearing community, including the government, has recognized her and appointed her to various positions where she has been very resourceful. While no account is given of any difficulties she might have faced while learning ASL, she has demonstrated excellent ability in this respect and used the language to communicate, hence realizing her professional and intellectual advancement. In the various capacities she has served in (which have seen her receive numerous honors and awards), her goal and desire to fight for the welfare of the deaf community has been clear. In her own words, she has always wanted to “contribute to a better society where there is more understanding and acceptance of people with disabilities and where the same opportunities are provided for all” (Yeheyes par 4).

While the numerous positions and capacities she has served in may not be mentioned all at once here, it is most important to note that Claudia Gordon has used her leadership positions to create inclusive environments where there is equity for all, including the deaf and disabled in society. Her work in this respect was visible when she served as served as Special Assistant to the Director of the US Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance and later the agency’s Chief of Staff. Prior to serving at DOL in this capacity, she had worked as Senior Policy Advisor at the Department of Homeland Security’s Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. Her contribution to the deaf community when she was staff attorney with the National Association of the Deaf Law and Advocacy Center is also worth mentioning. She has played a key role as a leader, which has earned her a lot of respect among her peers (Greene par 28).

In a word, Claudia Gordon has been at the forefront in advocating for not only the rights of the deaf and disabled community but also for an inclusive environment where there is equity for all. Her passion to make a difference among the deaf and disabled communities can be traced back to her childhood where, upon becoming deaf at the age of eight, she faced a lot of discrimination and stigmatization.  Besides this advocacy role, she is also dedicated to ensuring the deaf are empowered as to lead better lives and their sense of self-worth and confidence in their abilities and situations. Through her work, she has been able to inspire many among the deaf and disabled communities. Indeed, her story is quite inspiring to many, more so considering that she rose from a humble beginning, rising gradually to serve in some of the most senior positions in the US government.