hope for the blind

"Saul, still breathing murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord,

went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, that,

if he should find any men or women who belonged to the Way,

he might bring them back to Jerusalem in chains. 

On his journey, as he was nearing Damascus, a light from the sky suddenly flashed around him. 

He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him,

'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?'

He said, 'Who are you, sir?' 

The reply came, 'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 

Now get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must do.' 

The men who were traveling with him stood speechless,

for they heard the voice but could see no one.

Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing;

so they led him by the hand and brought him to Damascus.

For three days he was unable to see, and he neither ate nor drank.

There was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias,

and the Lord said to him in a vision, 'Ananias.' 

He answered, 'Here I am, Lord.' 

The Lord said to him, 'Get up and go to the street called Straight

and ask at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul.

He is there praying, and in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias

come in and lay his hands on him, that he may regain his sight.'

But Ananias replied, 'Lord, I have heard from many sources about this man,

what evil things he has done to your holy ones in Jerusalem.

And here he has authority from the chief priests to imprison all who call upon your name.' 

But the Lord said to him,'Go, for this man is a chosen instrument of mine

to carry my name before Gentiles, kings, and children of Israel,

and I will show him what he will have to suffer for my name.' 

So Ananias went and entered the house; laying his hands on him, he said,

'Saul, my brother, the Lord has sent me,

Jesus who appeared to you on the way by which you came,

that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.' 

Immediately things like scales fell from his eyes

and he regained his sight. He got up and was baptized,

and when he had eaten, he recovered his strength.

He stayed some days with the disciples in Damascus,

and he began at once to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues,

that he is the Son of God."

Acts, 9:1-20

If today's reading from Acts tells us anything, it should be that God can do anything with anyone. 

Saul - a.k.a. Paul - was an A-1 grade persecutor of the early Church - a young Pharisee who knew the rules and regs of the Jewish faith, and followed them to the letter. 

And then, God knocked Saul off his horse on the road to Damascus - and changed his life forever. 

Has God ever knocked you off your "horse" - shown you that the way you'd been doing things just wasn't going to cut it anymore? That he wanted something new, something better for you? 


We can live in blindness to all kinds of things - we can be blind to what God calls us to, we can be blind to the pain of those around us, blind to injustice, blind to those who need us. Just like Saul, we need the action of the Holy Spirit to make those scales of blindness fall from our eyes so we may see rightly. 


Ultimately, we should have faith and hope that God will clarify our spiritual vision. The story of Saul's conversion should remind us that no matter how far we may feel we've fallen, or how far away from God we are, there is always hope. If God can do great things through one who persecuted his Church so terribly, he can certainly accomplish good things through us, as well, so long as we are willing to cooperate with his plan. 


+Peace, and all good.