Suspicion, prudence and charity

In today’s first reading (Acts 9:1-22 - cf Acts 22:3-16), a man comes to the aid of someone who had been “breathing murderous threats,” who had done “evil things” to people like him, and who had come to town precisely to do the same things there.

This becomes part of one of the most important turning points of history: the conversion of Saint Paul, who would be God’s special instrument for bringing the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the non-Jewish world.

It is also an important reminder to us in our own lives.

The world is a scary place and there are many people who wish us ill – even those who wish to kill us.

We must certainly be prudent, and exceedingly so when we have a solemn obligation to protect others, but we must never let suspicion and fear stop us from carrying out the mandate of Christ: to preach the Gospel to every creature, to love our enemies and to pray for our persecutors.

We must always be prudent and we must always be Christians.