Acts 28:23-28. Paul has asked to meet with the Jews in Rome since he has been sent there by the Jews of Jerusalem to stand trial before the Romans. They agree and meet with him on an appointed day, wanting to hear what he has to say because everything they have heard about this "sect" of Christianity is negative. When they meet, Paul "expounded the matter for them from morning until evening, testifying to the kingdom of God" and tying Jesus to the law of Moses and the prophets. By the end of the day, some were convinced, but others were not. Before they left him, Paul said "The Holy Spirit was right" in saying through Isaiah "Go to this people, and say, you shall indeed hear, but never understand, and you shall indeed see but never perceive." The people's heart has grown dull, they close their eyes lest they should perceive with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand what their hearts, and turn to God to heal them.

The early Christians were not accepted by most people in their time, but especially by the elites and the powerful. They were mocked, dismissed, persecuted, and even killed. But nothing could stop the message from spreading, because it is the truth. The truth simply cannot be suppressed for long, because it is God. God is Truth. There will always be a small number of people who hear it and are convinced, because it speaks to our hearts.

But if we are so attached to our way of life, to sin and to the lies that these things tell us, that we cannot allow ourselves to hear the truth, even when spoken in the most loving and gentle of ways, then we can become very dangerous people. We will try to stomp it out so that we do not have to listen to it, even if that means persecuting or killing someone who is speaking it. We go to the worst of lengths to keep our eyes and ears shut to the truth when we are attached to our lies, as history shows us again and again.

We are on that trajectory as a nation and a world right now. I kind of think it is too late to remedy it without something even more disastrous happening, but I pray that I am wrong.