A Paul-ing

Today was the feast of the conversion of Paul (the apostle). No, I didn't capitalize. Paul always seems to be running harder, writing harder, convincing harder... like the younger sibling in a family who works twice as hard believing they only get half the attention.

Oh, he gets our attention, alright. Sometimes exquisitely profound, understanding the conflicts of the human condition, other times wearing on the last nerve of later day women - on both counts, he gets our attention.

Even if we find it difficult, with our contemporary sensibilities, to embrace him completely for the apostle he claims to be, Paul must have been/was/is a force to be reckoned with. An avid persecutor of early Christians, he has a radical, painful, complete conversion from persecutor to persecuted; from self-absorbed vengeance to Christ-centered service.

And God knows he tried - hard and long - to spread the Good News of Christ everywhere he could, facing imprisonment, being tempest-tossed and berated. Like the Energizer Bunny, he just kept going.... and going...... and going...... God in Christ gave him a second chance to get it right - and he took it. There's hope for all of us through the endless mercy of God.

It is highly unlikely that our "ah-ha" moment will be on the road to Damascus; we can thank God his was!