8 May 2018
Tuesday of the Sixth Week of Easter
Paul, Apostle of Christis is a 2018 American biblical drama film about the story of Paul, who was known as a ruthless persecutor of Christians prior to his conversion to Christianity. The plot focuses on how Paul becomes a pivotal figure in the formation of the early church before being executed by Emperor Nero in Rome. In one of the scenes in the movie, some early Christians break into the prison and try to free Paul and Luke who are held captive by Romans. However, Paul pointedly rejects any violent rescue because he believes that only love can defeat hate. He calls his supporters to lay down arms rather than take them up.
The reading today gives us an image on how there are powerful earthquakes, and, with them, the foundations of the jail shake and all the doors are opened and the chains were pulled loose. Paul chooses not to leave the prison and he even tries to assure the prison guard that he is not going anywhere. Paul tried to save the prison guard from harming himself as he was thinking that the prisoners had escaped. Paul said, “We are all here.” Can we take Paul’s words as the assurance to our own life as God says the same thing to us, “I am here.”
Each of us are dealing with our own anxiety and stress due to the end of a relationship, betrayal, or criticism. Let us open our ear to listen to the voice of God, assuring us that He is here with us.