A private jet descending… -- Image by Joel santana Joelfotos from Pixabay
A Modern Retelling of "The Conversion of Saul"
Victor Grant was the kind of CEO you prayed you'd never work for. Ruthless didn't begin to describe him.
He took pleasure in humiliating employees during meetings. He bought out family-owned businesses just to gut them, then bragged about "cutting dead weight." He drove a custom black Lamborghini that he parked across two handicapped spaces — because "no one's really using them anyway."
His investors loved him. His staff loathed him. His competitors feared him. Victor thrived on it.
One Monday morning, he stormed out of headquarters in Los Angeles, boarding his private jet to seal yet another deal that would crush a competitor. He was joined by his attorney, acquisitions VP, and purchasing CPA. As the engines roared and the plane climbed into the sky, something happened.
The cockpit instruments flickered. The plane bucked hard, dropping like a stone. Victor clutched the armrest, face pale. He could hear the pilot yelling in his headset, "Mayday, "Mayday…"
As the plane continued to drop, Victor felt the weightlessness. His stomach was pushed up to his throat, then everything went black.
It was still dark, there was a horrible smell like burnt plastic, and he could hear the sirens getting closer and people screaming in the distance. What had only a few minutes seemed like an eternity to Victor. He could not feel his body or open his eyes, then the first touch of help came.
They had managed a hard emergency landing at a small airport outside of Phoenix. The emergency teams were working frantically to remove the people from the plane. The danger of a serious and explosive fire was extreme.
Both pilots and the four passengers were life-flighted to the hospital, most of them in severe critical condition. Victor drifted in and out of consciousness.
It was controlled chaos at the emergency room, as the staff scrambled to categorize the injuries. Doctors were called in to handle the different injuries.
Victor was unconscious for 3 days. He was still in the ICU. Nobody came to visit him. The man who crushed others with power now needed help to pour a glass of water.
The ICU nurse, Angela, tended to his wounds, monitored his stats, and often would just sit next to him and read from the Bible, mostly parables. She read about the Good Samaritan, the Prodigal Son, and the Lost Sheep. Interestingly, Angela had worked in the HR Department for Victor's company. He had ridiculed her to the point she walked out. But right now, she felt compelled to care for him.
On the morning of the fourth day, he awoke. At first, he panicked; he still could not see. Then he heard Angela's calming voice. "I know you, your voice was in my dreams", he stated. She put her hand on his shoulder and told him to simply relax; your blindness will go away.
Victor relaxed. He realized he was given a second chance. Victor had always mocked prayer his whole life — for the first time in his long, dark life, he prayed, "Thank you, Lord. I have been a very bad man. Today that changes, Amen."
As the day went on, Angela would check in on him. He stayed calm. Victor started seeing flashes of light, then the light flooded back. Victor wept. He could see again.
From that day, everything changed.
Angela checked on Victor again. He looked up at her, "I know you! Didn't you work at my company a while back?"
She put her head down, expecting a verbal lashing, "Yes, I did."
Victor replied, "I know you, and you were mistreated by me. I cannot change the past, but, if it would be OK with you, can I donate to the hospital or a charity of yours in your name?"
She was speechless for a moment. Trying to get a grip on what just happened, she stated, "Yes, the hospital."
Victor asked the financial administrator to come in. He told her that all the hospital's expenses, not covered by their insurance, for all the others on that flight will be covered by him.
A few weeks later, Victor was able to return to work. He was still negotiating life from the wheelchair. His mind was sharp. The management staff was called in for a closed-door meeting. They were apprehensive and nervous about this meeting. Who was getting canned today was the thought rolling through their minds.
The management team left the meeting, somewhat confused, but knew they had to follow the directions exactly.
Employees didn't believe it at first. Was this the same tyrant who once called them "replaceable parts"? They received a letter with a bonus check in it. The letter simply stated that his CPA group is going to make adjustments to allow each employee to get a pay raise. In addition, you will now receive sick pay and increased vacation time, based on the length of time with the company.
He sold off the Lamborghini.
The other change from his closed-door meeting was a change in direction of the company itself. No longer are they going to buy up businesses at a deep discount and absorb them into the company. He told his acquisition management team to change direction completely. We will now partner with the company to assist in building them up.
Of course, the skeptics whispered. "It's an act." "He'll go back to his old ways." "Leopards don't change spots."
But months later, Victor held to his new commitments. Angela saw her name on the list of donors to the hospital. The business partnership program was bustling. The employees, for the first time, look forward to going to work.
Angela was at the downtown shelter serving meals. A man came up behind her in a plain t-shirt, blue jeans, and an apron. He put a hand on her shoulder and asked, "Where do I start?"
She turned around and screamed, "VICTOR!!!", then gave him the biggest hug. His lunch time that day was spent serving meals and cleaning tables.
Based on Acts 9:1-19
Synopsis:
Victor Grant was a man bent on destroying the competition, and Saul was a man bent on destroying the church. Both had a difficult encounter that left them with a 3-day struggle. Saul's miraculous encounter with Jesus and Victor's near-death experience showed them their new path.
Tap to read the actual bible passage:
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