Acts 9:26-31. Saul attempts to join the disciples in Jerusalem but they are afraid of him and do not believe that he is a true disciple. But Barnabas takes up Saul's cause and brings him to the apostles. Barnabas tells the others about Saul's encounter with Jesus on the road, and how he preached boldly in Damascus. On Barnabas' testimony, the apostles accept Saul and he goes freely in and out from them, "preaching boldly in the name of the Lord." Saul speaks and disputes with the Hellenists, and they end up seeking to kill him, so the other apostles send Saul to Tarsus. And "the church throughout Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was built up; and walking in fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit it was multiplied." 

I wonder what made Barnabas trust Saul? It seems from this that Barnabas was talking to Saul, even when the others would not. Something made Barnabas reach out to Saul, or maybe Saul saw something in Barnabas and reached out to him when he couldn't make headway with the other apostles. In any case, Barnabas put any fear he had of Saul aside and listened to him. He treated Saul in a truly Christian way - he knew that even Saul, this man who would have killed Barnabas a few months ago, is a child of God whom Jesus wants to bring to salvation. So Barnabas listened with an open mind and trusted in the power of God, and thank goodness he did! Having listened and believed, Barnabas then took Saul to the apostles and pleaded his case. The apostles probably never would have believed Saul on his own, but they trusted Barnabas and so they listened. Thus, our greatest evangelist was accepted into the new church.

We all do things, at times, that make it difficult for others to accept us, and we all need an advocate sometimes. Knowing this, we should strive to be as open-minded and charitable as Barnabas was. In these times we are living there is great division, and many people are doing some very wicked things. But God wants to save those people, so if we are approached peacefully by someone we see as an "enemy", we should remember Barnabas, and listen to them with a charitable ear, even to the point of defending them before others if they are sincerely changed.

The Kingdom of God is built by welcoming back every prodigal son who returns in sincerity. This is how the Church throughout the world is built up and multiplied, and walks in fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit.