Mystery of suffering

<p>Paul’s mission in life started as a religious mission for the Jewish religion and ended up becoming a spiritual mission for the whole of humanity. As Saul the Jewish Pharisee his mission was one of persecuting Christians wherever he could find them.  We see the record of the transformation of the religious mission of Saul into the spiritual mission of Paul in the Book of Acts. It is the account of him going to Damascus one day to get Christians and to haul them back to Jerusalem for imprisonment and punishment and death, when he gets struck down by a blinding flash of light out of the sky. Act 9: 4 When Saul fell to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” And Paul said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting (to cause suffering and even death). 6. Astonished and shaken up by what had happened to him he said ‘Lord what do you want me to do?’ The Lord said ‘Get up and go into the city and I will tell you what you have to do.’ 7. The men who had been travelling with him stood by, speechless, because they heard a voice but did not see anyone. 8. Saul then picked himself up off the ground and when he opened his eyes he found he couldn’t see a thing, so his companions had to lead him by the hand into Damascus. 9. He stayed blind for three days, and neither ate nor drank anything the whole time.10. The Lord then spoke to a man called Ananias in a vision, and said ‘Ananias’, and he answered ‘ I am here Lord’. 11. The Lord said ‘Get up and go to Straight Street, to the house of Judas, and ask for a man called Saul, whom you will find praying. 12. Saul has seen you in a vision, coming in to lay hands on him, so that he might get his sight back again.’ 13. Ananias answered,’ Lord I have heard about this man from many people, and how much evil and destruction he has brought upon the Christians in Jerusalem. 14. And he has obtained authority here in Damascus from the chief priests to imprison anyone who calls upon your name. 15. The Lo