Shelby Olive, Communications Associate

Acts 22:6-10
6 “While I was on my way and approaching Damascus, about noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone about me. 7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ 8 I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ Then he said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth whom you are persecuting.’ 9 Now those who were with me saw the light but did not hear the voice of the one who was speaking to me. 10 I asked, ‘What am I to do, Lord?’ The Lord said to me, ‘Get up and go to Damascus; there you will be told everything that has been assigned to you to do.’ 

Acts 26:12-18
12 “With this in mind, I was traveling to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests, 13 when at midday along the road, your Excellency, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and my companions. 14 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.’ 15 I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ The Lord answered, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. 16 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. 17 I will rescue you from your people and from the Gentiles—to whom I am sending you 18 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.’

Reflection:
I don’t think there’s anyone who isn’t a sucker for a good story, and with good reason! They’re worth so much more than their entertainment value. Through stories, we connect with other human beings, pass down family traditions, and learn important life lessons. For us Christians, they are how we receive our faith—stories about God’s relentless, loving pursuit of humanity. We are people who are linked to God and to each other through narratives.

These two passages are the same story told by Paul to two different crowds. They are by no means identical. But the essence is the same. They are tales of Paul’s conversion—the moment he meets with Jesus, and his life changes for good. Storytelling is a key part of Paul’s witness. But why tell this story in particular? He doesn’t simply say, “Christ changed my life,” and leave it there. He gives them the dirty details—details that don’t exactly paint Paul in the best light. He was not only a persecutor of people but a persecutor of Christ, and by inflicting this pain on others he was hurting himself in the process (26:14). Why include all of this? It seems like the exact opposite thing you’d say if you were trying to sell the Gospel to complete strangers. But self-disclosure is a central part of Paul’s spreading of the Gospel.

A fellow seminary colleague told us of a conversation she had with her brother, who is not a Christian. As a pastor-in-training, she found herself trying to present the Gospel by perfectly articulating her well-thought-out theology and interpretation of Scripture. He wasn’t buying it, and with every argument she offered, he came back with rebuttal after rebuttal after rebuttal. Finally, she just told him her story—an honest story that told of the dark places she had been and how God met her where she was, offering compassion, love, and redemption. After she finished, he said, “That was more convincing than any of the explanations you just gave me.”

The key to the Christian witness is honesty—honesty about God, honesty about who we are, and honesty about who we’ve been. We live in a world of self-marketing and constantly feel the pressure to present the best of ourselves at all times. While we are not required to disclose the deepest, darkest parts of ourselves to anyone and everyone, there is something freeing about tearing down our refined walls, exposing who we really are. As Christians, we often believe that if we don’t show our weakness or our sin that others will be repulsed by our faith, and we are so convinced that the world needs us to be perfect, but friends, that is simply not true. An honest witness that tells of a God who is endlessly gracious and meets us in the chaos of all of our mess delivers us from it accomplishes more than we think.

Prayer:
Gracious and loving God,
We bless your name for the stories that have been passed down to us and for our invitation to take part in this grand narrative of the ongoing, dynamic relationship between you and your people. Whenever we feel pressured toward perfection, gently show us that vulnerability and honesty build the Kingdom, reminding us that ultimately, our redemption is in your hands. Amen.