Seeing the Light

There are a lot of riled up people right now about a number of issues - gun violence, abortion, war, immigration, air travel, personal freedoms. Whatever ‘side’ someone takes on whichever issues have them most heated, the assumption is that they are right. The more heated, the less people are able to dialogue and live in peace with those who don’t share their views. Some even feel that God is speaking directly to and through them and that what they are doing is best for the community..

I’m preaching on the conversion of Saul on the road to Damascus this Sunday and can’t help seeing him as being like some of these leaders who are loud and proud and willing to fight to the death for their cause. Saul, in Acts 9, is breathing threats of murder as he walks that road, completely wound and self-righteous about stamping out the Jesus followers until that blinding light comes and he falls to the ground. Only he hears the voice of God calling him out for persecuting Christ. After this encounter as he remains blind for three days, he has time to reflect. Like Jonah in the belly of the whale, he is forced into seclusion and darkness where he prays and fasts and waits to see what will happen.

I’m sure there are people who you wish would have a similar blasting intervention from God to point out the flaws in their platforms and views. How much better would things be if these hateful or dubious people were scared silly and forced to confront their actions by God well ahead of Judgement Day?

And yet, the next part of the story is Ananias who God asks to release Saul from this prison with gentleness. Ananias is understandably concerned about being anywhere near Saul, the known killer of Christians. But Ananias is obedient and as the scales fall from Saul’s eyes perhaps Ananias has an awakening as well. He may have had a different kind of blindness - a blindness to God’s power to redeem, to the ability of people to change and be used by God, to there being no lost causes in God’s kingdom.

Would we be willing to be like Ananias and to go to our adversaries bringing words of hope and peace? Would we step up to dialogue with someone who could threaten our safety, trusting that God is sending us? Would we be willing to model the love and healing available to all, no matter how unsavoury or unworthy we may find someone or a particular group?

Because this story is as much about Ananias as it is about Saul. It’s about the opportunity to dramatically change the trajectory of someone’s life and to literally be the hands of Christ laying on blessing and bringing renewed vision for them and us. Without Ananias we might not have most of the letters of the New Testament, because Saul may have never answered the call to be a missionary and major catalyst for the church.

May God show us when we are unaware of our hubris and pride and give us wisdom and insight to how our action or inaction is harming the kingdom of heaven. May we have the courage to change to better serve Christ. And may we be willing to be sent out to provide healing and grace to those who we don’t feel deserve it but who God wants to bring back to life from a place of darkness..