St. Luke the evangelist was one of the disciples of St. Paul in the early days of the Christian church. Many scholars agree that Luke was the author of the Gospel which bears his name and the Book of Acts, the history of the very early church. The Gospel of Luke specifically states that the writer (who is never named) did not witness the events of the life of Christ, but instead wrote the Gospel based on the stories of those who were eyewitnesses. It is interesting to note that parts of Acts are written in third person and other parts in first person, heavily implying that the writer was personally present for some of Paul’s missions but not for others.
Luke was a highly educated man from Antioch in Syria. In the letter of Paul to the Colossians, Paul refers to Luke as a physician. Biblical scholars also note the historian-like quality of Luke’s writing, particularly in the detailed descriptions of physical locations and historical figures not present elsewhere in the New Testament. Tradition holds that Luke was also a skilled artist and the first to paint an icon of Mary and the infant Jesus; a few churches have ancient icons which they claim were painted by Luke. Luke would eventually be ordained Bishop of Thessalonica in Greece. Early church writings state that Luke died in Thebes in or about the year 84.
Luke may have been one of the first Gentile converts to Christianity; in Colossians Paul distinguishes between Luke and circumcised disciples. Luke is the patron saint of physicians and surgeons, artists, students, and butchers. His feast day, October 18, is celebrated mainly by offering prayers for strength and grace for doctors and for physical and spiritual healing.
People of all faiths can appreciate the idea of asking the divine to grant physicians with the strength they need to do their difficult jobs, and many interfaith ministers choose to focus their October 18 spiritual activities on acts of comfort and healing. Those thinking of being ordained through the Universal Life Church may wish to use Luke’s feast day to meditate on ways their ministry might aid those involved in the great task of healing, or they might decide to offer more immediate help by volunteering at a hospital or nursing home.
Interfaith ministers of the Universal Life Church may also wish to focus on the artistic tradition surrounding Luke. Artists of many times and cultures have attempted to capture their impressions of divinity through artwork. ULC ministers could take a small group to visit an art museum on October 18 to observe and discuss the many faces of the divine portrayed there. Groups and individuals can also try interpreting their own impression of the transcendent by creating art of their own, whether it be through paint, music, poetry, or any other creative method.