The road to conversion

‘I’m still waiting for my road to Damascus moment’. My friend wants to have faith, she says, but it hasn’t happened. She’s waiting for a shining light to convert her.

This idea is fairly common, but it misunderstands the road to Damascus. Saul was a man possessed by anti-Christian hatred. He required an almighty intervention. The road to Damascus was, for him, the creation of Paul the apostle. In a very significant sense, the road to Damascus is a road that only one man has travelled. We misunderstand conversion if we think of that road.

But there is another famous road to conversion in the Bible. On Easter Sunday a dejected couple were walking back to their hometown, Emmaus. They had followed Jesus to Jerusalem and to tragedy. On the third day after the crucifixion we meet them, downcast (Luke 24:13-35). On this road, we get a far better picture of conversion. Here Jesus does three things to turn them around.