Mary with di Believers

Small group of people dey waka come down one hillside, dey go back to di city. Dem just watch dia friend and teacher disappear enter cloud. But dem no dey sad. Dem dey go house to pray.

For forty days after e rise from death, Jesus show imself to im followers, e chop with dem and teach dem about di kingdom of God. E tell dem make dem wait for Jerusalem for di gift wey im Papa don promise, di Holy Spirit. Then, for di Mount of Olives, just outside di city, God carry am go up for dia front, and cloud cover am. Two men wey wear white cloth appear and talk say, why una dey stand dey look up for heaven? Dis same Jesus go come back di same way wey una see am go. So di disciples turn, dem begin go back to Jerusalem.

Luke tell us say di Mount of Olives na one Sabbath day journey from Jerusalem, e no far at all. Dem waka come down di slope, pass di olive trees, cross di Kidron valley and climb enter di city. And dem go one upper room, one upstairs room wey dem don dey stay. Luke list who dey there: Peter, John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James di son of Alphaeus, Simon di Zealot, and Judas di son of James. Eleven names. Just few weeks before, most of dem run comot when dem arrest Jesus. Now dem don gather together again.

And dem no dey alone. All of dem continue with one mind for prayer and for begging God, together with di women, and Mary di mama of Jesus, and im brothers. With one mind mean say dem dey together, dem dey united. Di women wey follow Jesus from Galilee, wey stand near di cross and wey find di empty tomb, dem dey there. Di brothers of Jesus dey there too, di same brothers wey, as di gospels talk, no believe am when e dey do im ministry. Now dem believe. And Mary dey there. Di young woman wey tell di angel Gabriel say, make e happen to me as you talk, don become older woman now, wey dey pray with di followers of her son.

Think about everything wey Mary don see. Angel visit her for Nazareth. Baby born for Bethlehem. Shepherds for di door and wise men with gifts. Di warning wey Simeon give for di temple. Her son wey be twelve years, wey dem lose and find among di teachers. Di wedding for Cana. Di cross. Di empty tomb. And now she be just one of di believers, dey wait and dey pray with di others for di Holy Spirit wey Jesus promise. Luke no give her any speech or special place. She dey there, inside di room, dey pray. Na di last time wey di Bible show her. Few days after, for Pentecost, di Spirit come.

One Sabbath day journey na one way to measure distance. Jewish teachers, wey take am from di law, put limit for how far person suppose waka for Sabbath day: about two thousand cubits, small less than one mile, or around one kilometre. Dem discuss dis rule for di Mishnah, di collection of Jewish teaching wey dem write down around di year two hundred. Luke just use am to tell im readers how near di Mount of Olives be to di city.

Mary with di Believers. You go find am for Acts chapter one, verse twelve to fourteen. Di story wey start for Mary with message from angel end, as far as di Bible tell am, inside one room wey full with prayer. For Christmas, we dey remember di young mama for Bethlehem. Here we see her many years after, she still dey trust, she still dey wait on God, together with im people. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Di last time wey we see Mary for di Bible, she dey pray with other people. Who you fit pray with dis Christmas?