My Senior year in high school I was in our school's production of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. I played one of the brothers along with a group of my show choir buddies. We were a bunch of fun loving guys who had a decent amount of talent and some affinity for acting (acting up is probably a more appropriate way to put it). We had a blast! In a couple of scenes, the brothers were suppose to get in a tussle with each other (as brothers tend to do). So imagine seven high school guys having permission to carry on like professional wrestlers on stage. These were, ofcourse, our favorite moments of the show and what we talked about the most. I think back and realize how patient our director, Mrs. Petry, must have been with us. How many times did she tell us to stop rough housing to no avail? Anyway, the reason I bring this up has more to do with the brides than the brothers. The girl who played opposite me was a good friend of mine so we had a lot of fun preparing for the production. Part of our fun was making fun of her character's name which was Dorcas. All of the brothers and brides were named after people in the Bible. (One brother was called Frank. This was short for Frankincense because when he was born, he smelled so sweet.) As teenagers, we were mostly Christian kids but had no context for "Dorcas." All we knew is that it sounded a lot like Dork and we thought it was funny. We wondered how anyone even in the olden days could even think of naming their kid "Dorcas."
The truth of the matter is the name Dorcas represents something beautiful and graceful. It is the Greek word for gazelle. As we get a glimpse of her life, it appears Dorcas is a beautiful person full of God's grace. Acts 9:36 says Dorcas "was always doing good and helping the poor." Later as Peter arrived on the scene, we see the widows who were mourning her showing him the robes she had made. These were likely garments she planned to give to those poor and needy whom she so humbly served. The passage does not tell us her marital status, but it seems likely she was a widow as there is no mention of a husband and it was widows who were mourning for her. Dorcas brings to mind a picture of many great women in churches who humbly serve by quietly and faithfully sharing their gifts. Maybe its that long serving and faithful Sunday School teacher you had or the woman who cooked for many church dinners. Maybe she's the one who educated the church about the missionary work going on across the world or who faithfully gave her time at the local service organization. I would imagine we could all think of someone like this who has influenced our faith in such a way. We don't know Dorcas' age either, but I envision her as an older wiser lady. This might not be the case, but she seems to have discovered what is most important in life. So whether she was old or not she seems to be beyond her years in grace and wisdom. She must have been considered a vital part of the group of believers gathered in Joppa to have the disciples there send for Peter in the midst of mourning for her.
We see no formal request of those who sent for Peter to raise Dorcas from the dead. Perhaps they just wanted Peter there to honor her and mourn with them, but something about the life and witness of Dorcas moved Peter to pray for her to return to life from death. This miracle would be remembered and have a huge impact on the people there as the scripture says in Acts 9:42, "This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord."
Luke (the author of Acts) is making an interesting transition here by sharing this account of Dorcas returning to life from death and the previous story about Aeneas' healing. It's one of those "meanwhile, back at the ranch" moments. We've gone from the most pivotal and important telling of Saul/Paul's conversion, to witness the work of the Holy Spirit in towns like Lydda and Joppa. Remember, Christians had been dispersed because of the threat that had come to them in Jerusalem. Not only this, but these events were happening on a grass roots level. People like Aeneas and Dorcas were just people seeking to be faithful to the call on their life that Jesus had given to them. They were not destined to extraordinary mission and leadership as Paul was, but their stories had a part to play in the spreading of the Good News. The Holy Spirit was preparing the people for what was next. The tragedy of Stephen's death and the persecution of the early church had caused them to spread which turned out to be a good thing. Ironically though, as Paul had been the leading contributor to cause the early Christians to spread, he was about to lead them to expand the Kingdom likely beyond what any of them could have imagined. (This makes me think of Romans 8:28)
Dorcas had an affinity for making clothes and a heart for the poor and she used this for the Kingdom. She did it with such passion that as Peter heard the story of her life, he was moved to ask God to bring her back to life a while longer for the sake of the Kingdom. As we consider Dorcas' story applying to our families, I hope this speaks to you concerning the cultivating of your children's gifts and talents. I know as a parent I long to see my children find special interests that bring them joy and help them grow as people, but I also hope to instill in them that every gift and talent can be used for God's kingdom. If your child has an affinity for a certain sport, they can use that for God's kingdom. Encourage them to allow their relationship with Christ to permeate their interaction with teammates and even players from opposing teams. Help them to discern the way they respond when they celebrate victories or work through difficult losses in light of their walk with God. If your child has an affinity for music, art and/or dance, the same applies and can also be used for worship as well. Maybe your child is just good at making friends. Encourage that to be an influence of faith to others. I doubt there is any affinity, if it is healthy, that can't be used for God's kingdom. Obviously, this applies to us as well, not just our kids. Maybe, the first step is to apply this in your own life. Then, it might be easier to see it in the life of your children. The Holy Spirit still works today as He did then, so prepare your hearts for how God might use you and your children, and don't ever be ashamed to be a Dorcas.
