Friday, III Easter
(Acts 9)
Every once in a while a report about intelligent design breaks into the news. Intelligent design is the evolutionary theory that claims that the Creator has left His tracks on nature in guiding the development of the species. Most scientists claim that random chance controls evolutionary development with no evidence of the hand of God at work. Some Christian thinkers have taken a middle position -- God works through chance even if He doesn’t reveal Himself in nature.
Even if God doesn't reveal His hand in nature, does He do so in history? I suppose many historians would argue no. They would see the course of history as meandering as aimlessly as students the first hours after final exams end. Yet this is not how St. Luke, the New Testament writer most concerned about history, sees Salvation History. For Luke God’s work is evident everywhere. He turned the martyrdom of Stephen into the apostolic impetus to take the gospel to different lands. Today in the reading we listen to Luke narrating the story of how Christ personally intervenes in Saul’s life to direct him to preach to non-Jews.
Why, we can ask ourselves, does God have such an elaborate plan for Saul? The answer is contained in the gospel message itself. God loves each of us – most of us here are of non-Jewish lineage – more than we can ever appreciate. Out of this love He wants us to have the privilege of knowing His son Jesus Christ!
