Edwin Markham's little poem has so much to say to us about the ability of love to transform.

He drew a circle that shut me out --
Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout.
But love and I had the wit to win:
We drew a circle that took him in.1

One of the most amazing stories to come out of the Bible is the account of Saul's life. Through this story we see a leading opponent of the church being transformed into the church's greatest advocate.

In today's passage of scripture, we encounter the conversion experience of Saul. It is a story that reveals in dramatic fashion the transforming nature of a personal encounter with Jesus Christ. It would be easy to focus on the dramatic nature of this encounter, but that is not the most telling aspect of this passage. The pivotal part of this passage is found in …