Find your voice

Sunday April 22nd, Acts 9: 3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" 5 "Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked. "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied. 6 "Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do." Paul was doing the will of God by going from town to town to get rid of the new followers of Jesus, at least he thought he was. God had other plans. God has plans for us also, plans to spread the word of God’s love and grace. Some confuse that as plans to spread the legalism Paul first was about. Today I believe that legalism comes in the form of anti-choice, anti-gay, pro-war, pro-death penalty agendas, the hot button litmus test issues for the conservative Christian community. The trouble with the righteousness that comes from these hot button issues is that it is virtually no different than self-righteousness. God had a different agenda for Paul, perhaps God also has a different agenda today and is just waiting for progressive Christians to once again find their voice.