Daily Devotions

It may appear odd to include in this series of conversations with Jesus to feature Paul. Yet within the Acts of the apostles there is a telling interchange between Saul of Tarsus and the Risen Christ. 

We read, “He set off. When he got to the outskirts of Damascus, he was suddenly dazed by a blinding flash of light. As he fell to the ground, he heard a voice: “Saul, Saul, why are you out to get me?”He said, “Who are you, Master?”, “I am Jesus, the One you’re hunting down. I want you to get up and enter the city. In the city you’ll be told what to do next.”

This was the conversion moment when Saul's transformation from a persecuting tyrant into a gospel preaching giant began. One thing I notice is that as soon as Saul heard the voice of Christ speaking to him, he began to address Jesus as 'Master'. The word in the Greek refers to Lord or  owner with its equivalent Hebrew, Adonai, a title given to God.

Unlike, the conversations with the Emmaus duo, Thomas or Mary, Saul was unable to see with his physical eyes. I wonder, was this so that Saul, soon to be Paul, needed to become accustomed to the inner light of Christ. Light typically helps us see, but in this case, the light is a revelation of blindness rather than sight.  The light of Christ reveals to Saul that he has been entirely blind all along.  It doesn’t help him see, at least not initially.  It lets him see that he can’t see. 

We are all aware of the proverb, “There's none so blind as those who will not see”  defining people who choose to ignore evidence, are as limited in their inner seeing as those who are physically blind. It suggests that people can be prevented from accepting reality due to their choice to be ignorant.

Pope Francis writes, “[Sin] is a blindness of the spirit, which prevents us from seeing what is most important, from fixing our gaze on the love that gives us life. This blindness leads us little by little to dwell on what is superficial, until we are indifferent to others and to what is good.”

You break in, O God,

on the road

you break in, O God,

exactly the way we don’t believe

you break in, O God,

and change everything

You break in, O God

with a call

you break in, O God

with an invitation

you break in, O God

with the truth

You break in, O God

with a new realm

You break in, O God

with a new world

You break in, O God

with your intent for the future

God, break in again

and call us to be your workers

God, break in again

and use the gifts we are to build your realm

God, break in again

and change our world once more. Amen