A Spiritual Crisis
In the late summer of 386 AD, Augustine found himself in a garden in Milan, Italy, grappling with a profound spiritual crisis. As a professor of rhetoric, he was deeply entrenched in worldly desires and intellectual pride, yet he was disillusioned with his current path and yearned for something more. His heart cried out in agony, 'How long shall I go on saying "tomorrow, tomorrow"? Why not now? Why not make an end of my ugly sins at this moment?'
Take Up and Read
In this state of turmoil, Augustine heard an unexpected voice, like that of a child, singing, 'Take up and read, take up and read.' Perceiving this as a divine instruction, he opened the Bible and read from Romans 13:13-14: 'Not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and wantonness, not in strife and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and as for the flesh, take no thought of it for its lusts.'
Light Dispels Darkness
At that moment, Augustine experienced a profound change. As he later reflected, 'For with the conclusion of this sentence, it was as if a light of confidence and all the shadows of doubt were dispelled.' The weight of his past was lifted, and he embraced a new life in Christ.
Bishop and Theologian
This pivotal encounter led him to renounce his former ways, embrace celibacy, and commit fully to the Christian faith. He was baptized by Ambrose the following Easter and went on to become a leading theologian and bishop.
Augustine's conversion was not only a turning point in his life but also a testament to Jesus' power to transform and redeem. He later wrote, 'You have made us for yourself, Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you,' a truth he lived out from that day forward.
