The Acts of the Apostles describe the spread of the faith from the timid assembly who were missioned at Pentecost to the spread of the church to Rome. Today’s dramatic story tells of an earthquake and a potential prison break. Instead of leaving prison by the door opened by the divine action of an earthquake, Paul stays around and takes the opportunity to convert the guard and his household. Of course, this was unexpected, and it was the unexpected that made people interested in Christianity and that acted as the motivation for their lives. Whereas violence, immorality, and greed permeated a Roman society that was quickly losing its civic values, Christians stood out as moral persons whose morality, grounded in faith in Christ, set them both apart and as objects of attraction and interest. The story of Paul in prison provides a formula for Christian life. God acts, in this case the earthquake, but Paul seizes the opportunity to bring men and women to Christ. The first reading today challenges us to recognize God’s action in the world and use this action to bring others to Christ.