Acts 7:51 - 8:1 / John 6:30-35
For every drop of sweat, a seed is taken and planted.
For every drop of tear, the ground is watered and the seed is germinated.
But for every drop of blood that is shed, the seed of conversion is produced.
In the 1st reading, we hear of two characters. One was Stephen who spoke out in witnessing to Jesus and was stoned to death.
The other was a young man called Saul and he entirely approved of the killing.
Stephen and Saul may not have known each or, or they may have heard of the other.
But for Saul, who after his conversion will be called Paul, the death of Stephen probably would have lingered on in his mind.
It could have been his first encounter with a Christian and he went on to persecute Christians.
But could it be that the blood of Stephen produced the seed of conversion in Paul, just as it is said that the blood of martyrs is the seed of Christianity.
For all the shedding of innocent blood in the world, could it be that the time for conversion has come where nation will not lift up sword against another nation?
May the blood of the innocent cry out to God for justice, and may we hammer the swords into ploughshares and spears into pruning hooks.