Scripture: Galatians 1:21-24
Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia, and I was still unknown by sight to the churches of Judea that are in Christ; they only heard it said, “The one who formerly was persecuting us is now proclaiming the faith he once tried to destroy.” And they glorified God because of me.
Thought for the Day: Thomas Paine, the American revolutionary, was a man who understood the need for a healthy separation between religion and government. Paine would write, “Persecution is not an original feature in any religion; but it is always the strongly marked feature of all religions established by law.” Through his own history, Paul understood how a religion could easily take the blessing of a government as a sanctioning to persecute its opposition. Manipulation and power over another person never produces a real change within an individual’s heart. Paul, like Thomas Paine, would come to understand that the only means to a transformed heart is through the proclamation and embodiment of a religion’s central qualities.
Prayer: My God, may I never leave behind peace and respectful love simply to help make a point about your peace and respectful love. Amen.
