“I’ll believe it when I see it.” It’s not exactly a faith statement.
Instead, we highly doubt it will happen or that he will do it. He has said this before. Don’t get your hopes up; we have heard it all before.
“I’ll believe it when I see it.” We need proof that she has changed and at least six weeks of consistent paychecks to include in a background check or a credit check.
“Trust, but verify,” former President Ronald Reagan cautioned. We will need to witness with our own eyes that things are not the same and that this will not be “business as usual.”
If it is your word against my eyes, I will trust the latter. “Show me the money.” “Put up or shut up.”
For many of us, seeing is believing. Though we want to take a person at their word, time and experience have taught us not to hold our breath, not to get too excited and not to put all our eggs into one basket, lest we end up with eggs on our faces. So, let’s just wait and see.
Because it’s easier said than done. “I’m a changed person” or “I forgive you” is easier said than done.
More so, you can add, “love your neighbor as yourself, love your enemy, turn the other cheek, and go the extra mile.” All these things are easier said or read, studied or sung about than done. So, I’m not surprised by those who say, “I’ll believe the church when I see it behave like its leader.”
Known more for who its members hate than for who they love, the North American church often looks and sounds a lot like Saul, the murderer turned missionary in Christian scripture. With sacred writ in one hand and stones in the other, they stand ready to defend their righteousness and seemingly to protect God’s reputation.
Khalil Gibran offers an interesting perspective. He said, “And God said, ‘Love your enemy,’ and I obeyed him and loved myself.”
Because it is the pot calling the kettle black. People who build stained-glass praise houses shouldn’t throw stones. Frankly, I am convinced that many churches have red carpet in their sanctuaries to hide the blood stains.
The church has been fighting since before it had an official name. Members claim to fight in God’s name, though “our arms are too short to box with God.” Like Saul, breathing down the necks of those we feel justified to persecute, attack, and call into question their faith.
Henri Nouwen said of power and Christian leadership: “One of the greatest ironies of the history of Christianity is that its leaders constantly gave in to the temptation of power— of political power, military power, economic power, or moral and spiritual power—even though they continued to speak in the name of Jesus, who did not cling to his divine power but emptied himself and became as we are. The temptation to consider power an apt instrument for the proclamation of the Gospel is the greatest of all.”
This is why Saul’s story is so important. It reminds us that Christian leaders are not only those with grand visions but also those who were blind and now see.
Saul’s story teaches us that both the kindhearted Dr. Jekyll and the explosive Mr. Hyde are present. He is not one or the other. But, for the grace of God, there goes Mr. Hyde.
A religious extremist, Saul was killing in the name of God. Because he saw nothing wrong with his zealousness.
N.T. Wright says, “…whereas for the modern Christian ‘zeal’ is something you do on your knees, or in evangelism, or in works of charity, for the first- century Jew ‘zeal’ was something you did with a knife.” Clearly, Saul wanted to do more and had no intentions of stopping as we learn in the book of Acts.
And perhaps, he wouldn’t have if he had not seen Jesus with his own eyes. What a revelation for this well-educated Pharisee—to be fooled by one’s own mind. Saul thought he was helping God, only to find out he was hurting… God. “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me” (Acts 9:4)?
Saul realized what William Willimon named: “We have met the enemies of Christ— us.” Nothing makes sense now.
Saul thought he was working for God— not against God. Saul lost sight of who he was and couldn’t see straight.
He is the enemy; now, what will God do to him? Jesus becomes the sight for sore eyes.
Later, Paul will cross the boundaries of his culture and break the traditions of his faith, becoming an apostle to the Gentiles. I am certain he was surprised by this turn of events.
Because what you see is not always what you get. Thank God for that.
Director of The Raceless Gospel Initiative, an associate editor, host of the Good Faith Media podcast, “The Raceless Gospel” and author of Take Me to the Water: The Raceless Gospel as Baptismal Pedagogy for a Desegregated Church.
