St Paul's dramatic conversion is described three times in Acts. The persecutor of Christians was stopped in his tracks and turned in a new direction. After a brief period of blindness, his eyes were opened, both physically and spiritually. He now knew who Jesus really was and why He had come. St Paul's unabashed Pharisaic life was tamed by a dramatic encounter with Jesus. Perhaps we have had experiences in our lives that turned our world upside down. They are gifts from God for which we should be grateful. We can be very certain of our opinions and be completely wrong. God will open our eyes and hearts and show us the way.

The ancients believed that Christ came, taught, suffered, died, and rose not only for humanity but for all of creation. The earth itself was also redeemed. After the resurrection, the command of Jesus was to preach the good news to all creation, which also meant showing reverence and care to signs of life. The signs of this new relationship would be evident in the ability to handle deadly snakes and drink poison – but this is definitely not to be taken literally. It is a theological way of heralding the messianic age. Perhaps we can show more reverence and gratitude for the beauty of all creation and the spirit of fratelli tutti for one another. Every malaise in creation has a remedy for recovery.