The Conversion of Paul.
Sermon By The Rev'd Canon Dr Charlotte Bannister-Parker
Jeremiah 1:4-10, Acts 9: 1-22, Matthew 19 27-end.
May I speak in the name of the father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit Amen in everyday life we often hear the terms she had a ‘light bulb moment’ or he had a ‘flash of inspiration’ a damascene experience’ a sudden change of heart or ‘revelation’. Even in this week's newsletter Father William talked of a transformative - ‘meta-no-ia’ beginning the year of 2024 and of course these terms originated from our reading from Acts – Paul’s conversion on the Road to Damarcus.
We are told of Saul of Tasrus, which was his birthplace, going from; persecute of Christians to follower of Christ, from powerful to humble and vulnerable from seeing to blindness. In Caravaggio’s beautiful 17th century painting of this scene he depicts the spiritual drama at play. It hangs in the Basilica of Santa Maria de Popolo in Rome (and I urge you to look it up after the service.) As we know Saul drew near to Damascus and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him Saul “why do you persecute me?” Saul replied “who are you Lord?” “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting” Caravaggio has Saul show falling off his horse (not that that a horse was in scripture) lying flat on his back, stunned by a blinding light, eyes shut, arms extended as if embracing the vision. The three figures in the painting, the horse, Saul and his guide are shrouded in darkness but a strong light shoots through the scene on soul intensifying this portrayal of a divine intervention. Interestingly, far from this encounter with Christ making Saul strong; he was weakened by it left, blinded, helpless and had to be led to Damascus unable to eat or drink for three days it was not until the brave and fearless follower of Christ Ananias sent by God to pray over soul that Saul’s sees again with scales fell from his eyes he got up was baptised and ate.
This play on ‘seeing’ transformation reminds me of a similar one of understanding that happened to Gloucester in King Lear, after Gloucester’s actual eyes were torn out, he said “I stumbled when I saw” so Shakespeare reminds us that sight isn't just about physical seeing it's about an inner understanding and in a way of seeing the truth. So what three things would I like to draw from our readings:
Firstly: We are all called. God tell us through his words of the prophet Jeremiah in the Old Testament, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born, I set you apart.” I believe this is true for each and every one of us we remember saw being called by God as otherwise we would not be here. Saul was called by God to become St Paul the Apostle to the gentile, he was chosen as God “vessel to bear my name before the gentiles, kings and the children of Israel.” Why Saul because God knew that his conversion would become legendary, a Jew, who lived as a Pharisee, who was respected, who knew scripture, who was literate and could spread the word of his Kingdom in letter throughout the world. God also called Ananias because he could showed courage and graciousness of the Christian faith to a stranger , even a stranger who had committed terrible acts, present at the stoning of our first martyr Stephen, Anaisas he accepted a stranger not as a stranger but accepted him as a “brother” somebody who'd was already part of the beloved Christian community. So I ask you what do you feel called for – like Ananias how can God make an positive impact through you?
The secondly: I want to draw out is that concept of conversion it can be a light bulb moment but not necessarily. * My story the begins at the age of 6. As a family we had gone to see the musical Jesus Christ Superstar in the West End. I was so moved by it that I wanted to sing and dance and act for God. As we returned on the 9 bus, with my legs swinging back and forth, I shared this thought with my brother. my brother turned to me when I told him I wanted to go on the stage for God and he said it's a very difficult life . So later that evening I sat on the steps to my bedroom where there happened to be a light bulb literally a light bulb hanging in the hall and I looked up and I said well if I can't act for God I'm going to follow Christ and of course that was just the beginning of my journey. Not sure it’s been any easier but at 16 I took a book out of Chelsea and Kensington library called “Careers in the Church of England” there was no place for women then at 26 after being a filmmaker in India I realised that actually God was still calling me and at 36 I had been ordained
However his conversion like so many of ours is not a one off experience that sets us right with God for all time. We know that we need each other for even St Paul wrote in Romans 7 “I can will what is right, but I cannot do it” so even after his conversion he needed help as we all do. So conversion experience are more often than not the beginning of a road, the start of a much more remarkable journey that lasts a whole lifetime - it's not just a moment conversion is a life journey.
And thirdly: that is why we have church, community, and the Eucharist. The conversion road is hard and long its challenge to reach out to the stranger in friendship and share your faith as Ananias did. But remember we have each other and “though we are many we are one body and we all share in one bread.” We all recognise it's difficult to have faith, especially in an increasingly secular world, but hearing the word, and being part of a congregation, and sharing in fellowship of Christ is what we are called to do together. It is what St Paul means by walking “according to the spirit” and I feel deeply honoured and privileged to embark on this walk with you all here today. Amen.
*(For Saul went to Paul went from persecutor to radical openness for all overcoming divisions in Galatians 3 he says we are “all part of common humanity” Corinthians 13 he changed from hatred to propagating that “faith hope and love abide and the greatest of these is love”. He moved from a boastful, proud, arrogant, bully, to someone who would be the mouthpiece for Jesus.)