The Conversion of St. Paul

• Acts. 9:1-22
• Matthew 19:27- 30

St Paul is often much maligned – but he was a product of his time and his moral world was coloured by a distaste of the Hellenistic culture that had gripped the more secular or pagan communities. But he was also a risk-taker, a rebel, someone from a highly educated perspective who was prepared to challenge the perceived wisdom and tradition. He was miles beyond his contemporaries in understanding the sense of equality that Jesus brought to his relationships with those on the edge of society, with women, with slave, with gentiles. Much of the anti-women rhetoric which is embodied in 1 and 2 Timothy comes not from Paul but from communities that were seeking to put back into the growing Christian community some of those things Jesus and in his turn Paul challenged – ironic really. The writers of these letters borrowed the authority of Paul, a common practice in the first and second centuries.

Paul is highly relevant to today’s world. He was the archetypal missionary, going into his own community and witnessing to Jesus and breaking down the barriers that exclude people from faith - physical, social, economic. Who could eat at table together was one of the most divisive issues of his day: the gentile could not eat with the Jew – share Eucharist together - even though they shared the same faith in Jesus. Rule and irrelevance got in the way of faith.

The world often seems consumed by puerile irrelevance. The controversy over the Jerry Springer Opera continues to rumble on with extreme Christian groups seeking to invoke blasphemy laws; once again the world seems engrossed in the excesses of Big Brother, or the seemingly constant outpouring of Christian conspiracy theories that are given credence by such as acts of fiction as the Da Vinci Code, trying to convince the gullible that Christianity is a two-thousand year con, a con the book itself can’t even argue successfully, falling back on the age-old hobby of Catholic-bashing. The Church however doesn’t help, being perceived as consumed by silly, ultimately trivial arguments, that say little about Christianity but a lot about modern Christians.

I don’t get concerned by shows like Jerry Springer the Opera, not because I personally like it - I watched 10 minutes and couldn’t bear it any longer; I don’t mind its alleged blasphemy, because at least the writer’s thought Christianity was worth attacking. I don’t worry about anger pointed at God: if I did, I couldn’t conduct half the funerals I do. I worry more about the lack of interest, the apathy, those who view faith as an irrelevance or worse. Much more corrosive than the slur of Jerry Springer is the dismissal or pretence to tolerate Christianity as an immature crutch of the people, while quietly and often cynically they edge-out central planks of our faith from the national identity. Nativities get banned in schools, while rightly Diwali and Hanukah are still celebrated to promote understanding.

Today is proof that we can take on our attackers and they can become our greatest assets or at least help us to raise our own game and awareness of what our faith should mean to us. What we struggle to combat are those who lack interest in what we do – even within the church, an interest that diminishes further with every irrelevant story from the church, or reports of our often bizarre approach to the world. After two thousand years, St Paul and St Matthew still can give us food for thought.

There are seven important points that come from today’s readings that I would like to highlight today.

1. Saul hated Christianity but became its greatest advocate. He was passionate about his faith; it was real and relevant. It challenged and it converted those who searched for real meaning to their lives.
2. No matter what we have done, who we are, or what we are, God loves us and will forgive us and will, if we let him, use us to do his will.
3. If we answer God’s call, expect to do so on his terms not ours. The ride will be exciting but probably the outcome will not be what you expect.
4. We are not promised anything in this life, but our rewards in heaven will surpass our wildest imagination. Imagine being with God who loves us and knows us.
5. It will not be those we expect, from our human perspective of success, who will be considered the successful in heaven.
6. Christianity costs. Jesus never said lie down and be pampered, have everything handed to you on a plate, take but don’t worry about giving. Jesus said take up your cross and follow me.
7. Today we have a community more like that of biblical times than we might care to admit. The people are crying out for a real spiritual engagement; they are just confused where to look for it.

Today as we celebrate St. Paul we acknowledge someone who grasped this message very clearly.

St Paul was known first as Saul of Tarsus: a Pharisee, possibly a lawyer, certainly zealous for a conservative Jewish faith. He was a leader in his community who actively sought to persecute the Christian community and was one responsible for the death of the first Christian martyr, Stephen.

Saul was as anti-Christian as you could get, yet Jesus challenged him and transformed him and chose him to be his messenger, to be a herald of Christ’s good news. Paul was not the most obvious choice to be a Christian hero; his own letters declare him as unsuited to the task. Contemporary accounts describe Paul as small, bald, bandy-legged with a long nose and eye brows that met - but he took on the task given with enthusiasm and courage. He faced persecution, ridicule, the dangers of travel, the discomfort of a journeyman with no place called home. He worked hard and offered himself as servant to the communities he came to. He was unafraid of conflict, he challenged those things he perceived as maintaining boundaries that Christ sought to break down. And he challenged Christian communities to live Christian lives. Giving to God with all their heart, mind and strength.

Paul was not afraid for Jesus; the ridicule or anger he faced was an opportunity to reach out and convert as he was converted, it was an opportunity to save lives.

That is our theological guide and mentor, a figure that has dominated Christian thought for two thousand years. He challenges us in Christ’s name to engage with a spiritual renewal of our own lives so that we can reach out to our community, taking an active part at the plough in order to prepare our mission fields for a harvest of new souls.

Gone are the days of attending church without taking responsibility for its life and work – we all can and must play our part. As Paul declared we are runners on a race, a race that finishes not on earth but in the arms of our Lord.