Acts 26:9-21 (NRSV)
Paul said to King Agrippa, "Indeed, I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things against the name of Jesus of Nazareth. And that is what I did in Jerusalem; with authority received from the chief priests, I not only locked up many of the saints in prison, but I also cast my vote against them when they were being condemned to death. By punishing them often in all the synagogues I tried to force them to blaspheme; and since I was so furiously enraged at them, I pursued them even to foreign cities.
"With this in mind, I was traveling to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests, when at midday along the road, your Excellency, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and my companions. When we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, `Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It hurts you to kick against the goads.' I asked, `Who are you, Lord?' The Lord answered, `I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But get up and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you to serve and testify to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you. I will rescue you from your people and from the Gentiles-- to whom I am sending you to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.'
"After that, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout the countryside of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God and do deeds consistent with repentance. For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me."
Galatians 1:11-24 (NRSV)
I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel that was proclaimed by me is not of human origin; for I did not receive it from a human source, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.
You have heard, no doubt, of my earlier life in Judaism. I was violently persecuting the church of God and was trying to destroy it. I advanced in Judaism beyond many among my people of the same age, for I was far more zealous for the traditions of my ancestors. But when God, who had set me apart before I was born and called me through his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, so that I might proclaim him among the Gentiles, I did not confer with any human being, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were already apostles before me, but I went away at once into Arabia, and afterwards I returned to Damascus.
Then after three years I did go up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and stayed with him fifteen days; but I did not see any other apostle except James the Lord's brother. In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie! Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia, and I was still unknown by sight to the churches of Judea that are in Christ; they only heard it said, "The one who formerly was persecuting us is now proclaiming the faith he once tried to destroy." And they glorified God because of me.
Matthew 10:16-22 (NRSV)
Jesus said to the twelve, "See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of them, for they will hand you over to councils and flog you in their synagogues; and you will be dragged before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them and the Gentiles. When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you at that time; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death; and you will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved."
Blog Reflection
The problems I have with how the Conversion of St. Paul is told in Acts Chapter 9 along with many of his letters throughout the New Testament, is that the work of God appears to be an end in and of itself. When reading the stories about and letters by St. Paul at face value, without taking some time to understand their meaning and apply some critical thinking to what we are reading, a more literary reading appears to back up the whole "born again" idea. The "born again" ideal adopted by many Christianists and not too few Christians of varying backgrounds, carries with it the particular danger of assuming that because God has saved us, there is nothing more to be done. It is quite okay that we submit ourselves to a culture of exploitation, where the wealth of a few is more important than the common good of all people. After all, if God has saved us, we can just flip the bird to the needs of others around us, sit back and let everything else including our own sense of responsibility towards the presence of Christ in others, just go the way of all flesh.
This kind of reaction suggests that conversion as an end in and of itself. One that does not convey an encounter with Christ in a way that is continuing to change our lives by a daily relationship between God and us. It has only changed us from the point of recognizing and loving the God we cannot see, while failing to reverence and love the presence of the risen Christ in our sisters and brothers before our very eyes. St. John alluded to this in 1 John 4: 17-21. As did St. Paul in Romans 12: 9-21, 1 Corinthians 7 as well as Galatians 5 and 6. It is much easier to use the Bible and the basics of our Christian Faith with it's doctrines as weapons of mass destruction, than to create an atmosphere of mutual love and respect for people who are different from ourselves without casting a huge cloud of fear of the ever allusive end of time.
Film producer Macky Alston has been working on "Love Free or Die" to appear on Sundance. It is the story about the life and ministry of Bishop Gene Robinson. The film will talk about how Bishop Robinson's work in the Diocese of New Hampshire which has been nothing but outstanding, has also been the source of unending tension within the Anglican Communion. An article about Love Free or Die appeared in The Salt Lake Tribune. As soon as Macky Alston's story about his passion for creating the film appeared on YouTube, immediately in the comments below it has appeared some of the most vicious assaults on The Episcopal Church, on Bishop Robinson and those of us who love and appreciate all that the Bishop has done on behalf of LGBT people all over the world. One of them in particular quoting the following Bible verse. "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil, that put darkness for light, and light for darkness, that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!" Isaiah 5:20. Such poor use of the writings of the Prophet Isaiah not only demonstrates serious violence, but an encounter with Christ that has been deemed itself a counterfeit by being very self centered.
The same case can also be made by Christianists and other individuals responding negatively to President Obama's State of the Union Address. I am frustrated with the extreme right that continues to bash the President with under currents of racism, while negatively referring to his policies as socialism. Socialism is a means by which we understand that taking care of our sisters and brothers in the middle and lower social classes is taking care of ourselves. We are all connected to each other. We all need the help of one another to find work, receive help so we can go to the doctor, help children get nutrition while they are attending school and help them get a good education. I am equally disappointed by those few progressives and our own LGBT people who are angry that President Obama invited a lesbian couple to be in attendance of the SOTU Address, but only mentioned the word gay once. Are we really that quick to forget the Presidents who came before Obama who not only failed to enact legislation that benefited the LGBT communities, but also did not hire LGBT people into their Administrations to show that we are as capable at fulfilling our jobs with love for our country as much as anyone else? President Obama has made those efforts and done them successfully. Often in the face of horrible backlash, even risking his reputation as a leader among social conservatives for having done so. Does our responses to the SOTU reflect a thankful heart for the progress made, with the commitment to keep on working? Or do they reflect an only self seeking form of inclusion, without being willing to include ourselves in the work of justice, equality and hope for a brighter future for everyone, not just ourselves?
Conversion is not just a blast of divine energy that knocks us off the horse as St. Paul experienced. It is the continual conversation between the Holy Spirit with ourselves and our communities around us. Conversion is an ever moving and energizing event that turns the ordinary activities of each day and moment, into opportunities to help ourselves and others grow in our attentiveness to God in every place and activity in our daily lives. It is the experience of the Holy Spirit who intercedes for us "with sighs that are too deep for words" (Romans 8:26) moving our hearts to forgive as well as to welcome and be participants in God's work of healing and reconciliation in our world.
Whether our experiences of God are like the Confession of St. Peter which we celebrated last Wednesday, or more like the Conversion of St. Paul, God is at work in each of us doing something wonderful. But confessions and conversions are just abstract words and experiences, unless they are reflected in the prayers and activities of our daily life. We have to let go of our prejudices towards Muslims, Jews, Native Americans, Immigrants, the poor, the sick, the dying, LGBT, women and so many more. We have to allow our Mother the Holy Spirit to transform us and our own lives, to become the real face of God transforming the world around us.
This is what I believe is the real message of the Conversion of St. Paul and the letters he wrote. His conversion and his writings reflect an encounter with the crucified and risen Christ in his own life that results in a deep hunger to become a transforming agent in the world around him. Even with the prejudices and limitations of his own culture and those found within himself. God still does something wonderful and influential in and through St. Paul.
Even with everything that is as imperfect as it is, we in no means should justify any of it, nor stop speaking up or being activists for change, but we are invited to make a contribution as a result of the transforming power of God by making choices about what we do in the here and now. Understanding that conversion is a means, not an end. There is always more work for God and us to do.
Prayers
O God, by the preaching of your apostle Paul you have caused the light of the Gospel to shine throughout the world: Grant, we pray, that we, having his wonderful conversion in remembrance, may show ourselves thankful to you by following his holy teaching; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (Conversion of St. Paul, Book of Common Prayer, p. 238, 239).
Give us grace, O Lord, to answer readily the call of our
Savior Jesus Christ and proclaim to all people the Good News
of his salvation, that we and the whole world may perceive
the glory of his marvelous works; who lives and reigns with
you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Prayer for the Third Sunday after the Epiphany, p. 215).
Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is
hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where
there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where
there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where
there is sadness, joy. Grant that we may not so much seek to
be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is
in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we
are born to eternal life. Amen. (Prayer attributed to St. Francis, Book of Common Prayer, p. 833).
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