Easter Week 6 Friday

Readings: Acts 18:9-18; Psalm 47; John 16:20-23

What significance could hair possibly have? We are told that Paul had his hair cut off because of a vow. Clearly there was some importance in this for him, but what might it have been?

Like almost every aspect of human life, hair is spoken of many times in the scriptures. The condition of one's hair indicated whether a person was old or young, healthy or ill, and sometimes also therefore clean or unclean. Samson's hair is the source of his great strength and once it is cut off he is at the mercy of his enemies. In Israel letting hair grow was a sign of special dedication to God, as is still the case with Indian holy men. Likewise cutting it off can be a sign of dedication to God as we see in the case of Buddhist monks and nuns. Some Christian religious communities also do things with their hair, once again as a way of expressing their dedication.

Hair is often referred to in the Song of Songs, as one element in what makes a person beautiful and attractive. And there are warnings too that hair might be too beautiful, too attractive and so distracting (even for the angels [1 Corinthians 11:10]. I'm not suggesting that Saint Paul might have suffered from too much sex appeal - we have no evidence for it anywhere else in the Bible!)

Cutting off one's hair can be a sign of repentance and penance and perhaps this is its significance in Paul's case. Within the heart and soul of Paul, it seems, is a movement, perhaps of repentance or gratitude, of desire or supplication, something in his relationship with God which he felt obliged to mark in this way.

All we know about his life at this moment is what we have been reading these past few weeks in the Acts of the Apostles. One could understand that the stresses and strains of the mission might have brought him to a point of near collapse. He has been adored and vilified, accepted and rejected, arrested and imprisoned, interrogated by various authorities, miraculously released from prison and given visions to support and confirm him in his work. He is caught between Jews and Gentiles, not just outside the Church, but within the Christian communities also.

Perhaps his vow is a way of saying to God: I too wish to confirm my acceptance of the mission you have given me, and I want to say that out in a clear way, if only to remind myself of it. In the earliest days of the Bible they set up pillars or stones to mark the spot where an important religious event happened. It is part of our nature, to express through signs and symbols things about our commitments and our relationships (carving our initials in a tree, giving each other rings, prostrating ourselves in public ...)

It remains unclear to us what Paul's vow was about. All we know is that he puts energy and determination into his repentance, his gratitude, his desire ... whatever it is that moves him to make the vow.

Today's reference to Paul's haircut can serve as a reminder about our own commitments and relationships: how are they at this moment? In particular our relationship with God ... what repentance, gratitude, desire, do I need to express, forcefully, today?