The first part of the story was included in the newsletter two weeks ago (see http://archive.aweber.com/awlist4337665/NynTC/h/_Bible_Tales_Newsletter.htm).

Their songs echoed through the cells of the prison, spreading a blanket of peace over the troubled souls who listened.  The initial grumbles from other prisoners at the unlooked-for sound had long since turned to rapt attention, and as midnight approached, all the prisoners were listening in the darkness as if a spell had been cast over them.  Even the jailer – sitting alone at his table in the small room which crouched, low-roofed, over the locked door of the prison – even he listened as he filled out the lengthy forms describing the latest prisoners and their crimes.  For him, the songs were a distraction, taking his mind away from work that must be completed before he could retire to his bed.  But they were also a niggling conscience to him.  He listened to the words and tried to reason them away.  He would never have admitted how much he knew of the truths behind the songs, but at times he wondered whether this message offered him the salvation he so desperately wanted.  Salvation – the word had a wonderful ring to it, but how could he achieve it?  Was this message, presented so beguilingly on the warm air of a clear night, the salvation he longed for?  But work called and he did his best to shut out the words and voices of his two most important prisoners.  Soon afterwards, he finished his most pressing work and took himself off to bed.  Sleep claimed him.

Down deep in the prison, Silas was holding the last long note of a song of praise to God when everything changed.  It came with a roar, and suddenly the earth was rolling and swaying.  He would have jumped to his feet, but the stocks prevented that.  All he could do was to steady himself by desperately holding the top bar of the stocks which held his feet firmly in place.  Then, just as the roar of the earthquake reached its peak, the bar came loose in his hands.  Not only that, but there were heavy bangs from all around, which later proved to be the doors of the prison cells opening.  It was a terrifying moment for Silas, with the immediate expectation that the prison would collapse on top of him.  He turned to look at where Paul must be, invisible in the darkness, and shouted, “Are you alright, Paul?”.

“Yes,” Paul answered, “have the stocks come undone for you?”

By that time, the noise level was dropping quickly and Silas could reply without any need to shout, “Yes, let’s see if we can find out what has happened.”  Standing up carefully, he stepped around the stocks and edged carefully towards where he remembered the door would be.  His hands were held out in front of him and he moved them from side to side as he tried to find the door.  “I’m just trying to find the door,” he said.  He fingers found a rough stone wall and quickly followed it to the doorway.  Though bolted and locked from the outside by the jailer after their evening meal, the door now stood open.  He could hear terrified shouts from the other prisoners coming through the gap.

“Paul,” said Silas, quietly, “the door is over here.”

“Okay,” said Paul, “it’s always good to know where the jailers will come from when they open the door.”

“Paul,” said Silas, even more quietly, “the door is already open.”

“Ah,” he responded softly, “that makes it interesting.  Shall we go out?”

“I suppose so.  There’s no light out there, though.”

“That’s alright,” said Paul.  “We only want to find out what’s going on.”

Paul stood up and felt his way to the door and Silas led the way out.  By this time they could hear what the other prisoners were saying and realised that the “coincidental” opening of their door had been replicated all over the prison.  Every door stood open and the terrified prisoners were congregating in the corridors as each found that the first step to freedom was theirs to take.

A varied company of people found themselves talking together that night in the stone corridors of that prison in the Roman colony of Philippi.  Mostly petty criminals and debtors who could not satisfy their creditors, they were an unhappy bunch with little to look forward to in life.  Some were all for breaking down the door into the jailer’s room before melting away into the darkness to seek a better life in distant parts.  Others saw an opportunity for retribution and suggested that the jailer should be first to suffer as they repaid society for its perceived mistreatment of them.  Some more practical souls had decided to climb the stairs and check the door that led to the jailer’s room, the door through which they had all entered the prison – the only door to freedom.  As these intrepid explorers felt their way slowly through the complete darkness, the plans and hopes of each of the prisoners ebbed and flowed according to their natures.  After what seemed like interminable ages, the word was quietly passed back, “The door is open!”

Excitement spread like a fire through the men.  Some rejoiced at the carelessness of the jailer in leaving open the doors, while others breathed the name of their special god or goddess in gratitude.   Silas knew exactly what Paul’s response would be, and within a few seconds he smiled to himself as he was proved right; Paul could not keep his peace.

“Men,” Paul said, speaking just loudly enough that all could hear.  “This is no chance carelessness on the part of our jailer, nor is is the work of a collection of gods, choosing to work together for the first time ever.  This is the work of the God to whom Silas and I were singing praises.  The God who has shown kindness and love to all of you in your terror during the earthquake.  He gave you hope when you felt like rats in a trap.  This is the one God, the creator God who gives life and hope to all and is father of all.”

Paul and Silas tried to calm the excitable group with reminders that although they were in prison for many different reasons, escaping from prison would not make their case any better.  It was a difficult task and they might not have been successful had not the jailer chosen that time to open the door.