DAY 12
From the devotional book Beyond Words by Frederick Buechner
“THERE’S SOMETHING A LITTLE SAD about seeing anybody for the last time, even somebody you were never particularly crazy about to begin with. Agrippa, for instance. He was the last of the Herods, and after him that rather unsavory dynasty came to an end.
When Saint Paul was on his way to Rome to stand trial, King Agrippa granted him a hearing, and Paul, who was seldom at a loss for words, put up a strong defense. He described how on the road to Damascus he had come to believe Jesus was the Messiah and how all he had been doing since was trying to persuade other people to believe he was right. He said the fact the Jews were out to get him showed only that they didn’t understand their own Scriptures, because the whole thing was right there, including the prediction that the Messiah would suffer and rise from the dead just the way Jesus had.
After Paul finished, Agrippa came out with the only remark he ever made that has gone down in history. “Almost thou persuadest me to become a Christian,” he said (Acts 26:28).
Almost is apt to be a sad word under the best of circumstances, and here, on the lips of the last of his line the last time you see him, it has a special poignance. If only Paul had been a little more eloquent. If only Agrippa had been a little more receptive, a little braver, a little crazier. If only God weren’t such a stickler for letting people make up their own minds without forcing their hands. But things are what they are, and almost is the closest Agrippa ever got to what might have changed his life. It’s sad enough to miss the boat at all, but to miss it by inches, with a saint right there to hand you aboard, is sadder still.”
Acts 26:1-28, KJV
See also Felix, Herod Antipas, Herod the Great, Paul.
my reflection You may have noticed I didn’t post yesterday. Among other reasons, I was busy chewing on this. As usual with Buechner, there’s a whole lot packed into very few words. To me his main point here is that it’s sad to get so close, oh so close, only to miss the boat. But really, when you think about it, does it really matter how much you miss it by? Whether you lose the football game 14-13 or 63-0, it’s still counted as an L in any event. Paul is obviously a good debater and an experienced persuader, but ultimately you can’t convince anyone of anything they don’t want to be convinced of. Agrippa would have nothing to gain by being persuaded, and everything to lose. At least that’s how he probably would have seen it. This is actually the main reason I’m careful talking about my faith. I love to share it as much as possible, but I never want to force it on anyone or push anyone before they’re ready. I never want to make anyone feel like they want or need to do anything. To go back to my initial analogy, I can let people know where the boat is and how to catch it, but it’s up to them to climb aboard. I never want to bring anyone aboard kicking and screaming, even unintentionally.
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