Article March 6, 2017 Issue

Divine Love’s summons

Holly Morris

“Thanks, God, for this wonderful day!” Tulu, our tour guide in Turkey, loved to conclude each day with this sentiment. On hearing news of bombings and other brutalities in many places around the world, I often think of the striking difference between Tulu’s gratitude and the destructive intent of a suicide bomber. It’s a disturbing contrast, one I wrestle with in my daily prayers for the world.

The ruthless killings and persecutions facing people in many countries today are not dissimilar to the persecutions that were carried out under Saul’s command during Bible times. The book of Acts declares that Saul “breath[ed] out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord” (9:1).

While Saul was in the midst of such persecutions, the Christ summoned him and opened his heart to heed and follow the summons—and a remarkable transformation took place. Saul’s heart and mind were changed, and his life took a significant turn. Taking the new name of Paul, he became a preacher of the gospel of Christ. His deep love and gratitude to God, infinite good, impelled him to help the weak and heal the diseased—and he persisted in his mission despite brutal persecutions, imprisonment, and shipwreck.

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