Sunday Musings
Paul's story reminds us what we really need now is mercy.
Back when he was Saul of Tarsus, St. Paul the Apostle went about synagogues persecuting Jews who were following the then-nascent Christian faith. It wasn't until he was traveling to Damascus and given a sign by God that Saul/Paul realized he had been in the wrong.
Instead of being punished - or as we would say today, canceled - Paul becomes one of Jesus’ greatest apostles.
As he tells it:
“I was a blasphemer and a persecutor and arrogant, but I have been mercifully treated because I acted out of ignorance in my belief.”
Whether you accept this story as fact or dismiss it as fiction makes no difference. The moral remains the same: Those who learn and grow deserve a second chance. Ignorance is not the same thing as willful disobedience. Attitudes can change for the better with time, and should be appreciated.
“Mercy” involves “compassion or forbearance shown especially to an offender or to one subject to one's power,” and it feels sorely lacking in today’s society. We see people called out on social media for a belief they once held or something they said years ago. We read comments about the late Queen Elizabeth II that make it sound like she personally colonized countries and mistreated their inhabitants. There is no allowing for growth and learning; there is only harboring resentment and calling out the sins of the past.
How can we learn from our mistakes if we’re not allowed to be forgiven for them? Can we seriously overcome past injustices around the world if we refuse to see any good that has emerged since then? Imagine if God had said to Paul, “I don’t care that you are interested in being a better person. I’m going to punish you anyway.”
Instead, Paul received mercy and then went on to make positive change. We need to bestow mercy on each other if we’re going to truly make an impact on our world.