“Something like Scales” with Amy

Something like Scales

…something like scales fell from his eyes - he could see again! (Acts 9: 18 MSG)

On Sunday we heard a portion from the ninth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles. This chapter gives Luke's account of Paul's "conversion" on the road to Damascus.

If you aren't familiar with this story, you can read it here.

Having a "road to Damascus" experience has become a common phrase in English to describe a life-changing, life-altering experience.

This story is referred to as Paul's "conversion" experience - marking the abrupt change from prosecutor of those following Jesus (when he is called Saul) to a follower of Jesus himself (as he is called Paul) and propagator of the Way of Jesus among the Gentiles.

I wonder how you hear the word "conversion" today and I wonder if you have had something as dramatic and life-changing as Saul-to-Paul's experience on the Damascus Road.

What does conversion mean to you? Is it necessarily a movement from something "bad" to something "good"? Is it a once-in-a-lifetime experience or is it a repeated experience? I invite you to share your own stories of conversion with me and one another at St. Francis. Amen.