Not “turned off” or “turned on” but completely, radically turned forever. Sounds like an odd question, doesn’t it? Like something from the spy series Spooks, when a spy working for one side is convinced, by whatever means, to change sides. He or she may look the same, but in fact they have changed – they now have a different motivation, and obey a different authority
The question “Have you been turned?” popped up a couple of days ago in another context. We were in church watching a video clip of when, just after Pentecost, inspired by God’s Spirit, the apostle Peter speaks to the crowds and literally thousands of people commit themselves to following Jesus Christ. The local religious authorities are amazed, and deeply irritated, and ask scathingly, “How many have been turned?”
I love how radical this sounds - no halfway houses, no compromise. I have been turned! Turned into a follower of Jesus - forever. No second thoughts, no going back, the deed is done. How about you?
Veronica