We sometimes make the mistake of thinking that Saul is a bad guy, through and through. To his way of thinking, though, he was defending the faith. This is something that has happened over and over throughout history and across different religions. We, as humans, have a tendency to view anything new or different as threatening, especially when it comes to something as close to our heart as our faith. We develop tunnel vision and focus our energy on eliminating that threat. Saul’s sight had become fixed so keenly on that goal, he had become blind to the values of the tradition he was trying to preserve. He had become blind to the values of the God he was trying to serve. It took an episode of blindness to open his eyes to what God, through Jesus, was doing.
Can you think of any examples in your own life where your dedication to preserving what you thought was right caused you to think, speak, or behave in a way that was contrary to yours and your faith’s values? When it comes to what God might be up to in the people, places, and situations around you, what might be obstructing your vision? How do we, as individuals and as the church, narrow rather than expand God’s mission in the world? What, in our good intentions, do we mis-read completely?
In prayer, ask God to remove any “blind-spots” you may have.
