Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, educated strictly according to our ancestral law, being zealous for God, just as all of you are today. I persecuted this Way up to the point of death by binding both men and women and putting them in prison.”
NL Daily Devotion for Thursday, May 19, 2022
by Dr. Kimberly Leetch, Clergy Stuff
God knew what God was doing when God chose Paul to spread the word about Jesus. Paul was both Jewish and a Roman soldier. He spoke Greek and Hebrew. He had once been violently opposed to the people of “The Way” (Christians) but had been converted. He had a foot in many opposing camps, which gave him the perfect opportunity to bridge the gap between Jews and Gentiles as he preached the gospel throughout the countryside.
In this story, Paul was headed to prison for bringing a Gentile into the Jewish temple, defiling the temple. Paul was given the opportunity to speak to the people accusing him. In the next passage Paul will recount his conversion story to the crowd. But here, he uses his diverse background to connect with the listeners. Finding common ground can often be the beginning of opening up diverse conversations with diverse conversationalists. What is some identifying information about you that you can draw upon to open up conversations with people that are not the same?
