Happy St. Barnabas Day!

June 11th is when the Church remembers the martyrdom of our patron saint, Barnabas.  Most of what we know about this man and his ministry to the Church is recorded in the Acts of the Apostles, especially in chapters 11-14.  Barnabas was a Levite (the priestly clan of the Jews) from Cyprus (a small island southeast of Greece.  Like Peter, Barnabas was given a new name when he became an apostle, and, as many know, his name means “son of encouragement.”
Perhaps Barnabas’s most inspiring action is recorded in Act 9, when he advocates for the newly converted Saul (eventually known as Paul) to the apostles in Jerusalem.  Saul was known to be an adamant persecutor of people who followed the Way of Jesus Christ.  He was present at and supported the stoning of Stephen, the first deacon.  It is no wonder that the apostles were afraid of Saul and wary of accepting him into their community.  Yet Barnabas attested to Saul’s conversion on the road to Damascus and appealed to the apostles to listen to Saul’s sincere testimony.
That is the power of narrative; to hear the truth of transformation in a personal story and be transformed by it yourself.  Part of the truth in a story is how a person’s actions demonstrate the change in her or his perspective.  When Saul encounters the risen Christ, he could have ignored Christ plea and perhaps been blinded for life.  Instead, his heart was changed and through baptism was welcomed into the Body of Christ.
However, Saul still had to overcome his notorious past.  Advocating for one’s self in such an instance is almost impossible because, as the clique goes, actions speak louder than words, and his past actions were shouts of condemnation for the Christians.  It took the witness and encouragement of Barnabas for the community to recognize the truth is Saul’s story and have their hearts transformed by accepting Paul as one of their own. 
We can see a similar situation with the story of Kelly Renee Gissendaner, the woman on death row in Georgia for killing her husband.  While she has been imprisoned, she studied theology and realized the error of her ways.  She confessed to the abhorrent nature of her crimes and repented of her sins.  When she asks for a stay of execution, many did not believe that Kelly’s conversion was real.  Noted German theologian Jürgen Moltmann, who had instructed Kelly and exchanged several letters with her, expressed his belief in her transformation.  Such testimony is powerful.  Moltmann did not need to offer such witness, but he did to support his sister in Christ.
Seeing the power of narrative (hopefully) inspires us to be able to share our narratives.  While they may not be as dramatic as Paul’s or Kelly’s, they are our truth and help us share our faith with others. By knowing our stories well, we will be able to discern the truth in other’s stories, especially if they are more difficult to accept, like Kelly’s – or perhaps a relative who is an addict, or a person who has betrayed another.  Then it is our opportunity to be like Barnabas and witness to the truth of his or her conversion.  It is a risk, but well worth it to build up the body of Christ.
Happy St. Barnabas Day!

Rev. Valerie+

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