WATCHWORD:
4 Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! 5 Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. 6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Philippians 4:4-8
Meditation:
[NOTE – I wrote the following on Friday, February 28, 2014, almost seven years ago. Some might read into this something political, but they would be wrong. When I posted this in 2014, I got some feedback, including one that claimed I had “misquoted Paul”, to which I replied that I wasn’t quoting Paul, I was speaking to disciples of Christ. In today’s hurting world, it seems appropriate to, once again, speak to disciples of Christ.]
Whatever is Untrue
Whatever is untrue, whatever is unholy, whatever is unjust, whatever is ugly, whatever is of ill repute, whatever is vicious, whatever is cowardly, whatever is unfair…write of these things, speak of these things, think of these things, instill in the minds of others all these things.
These seem to be the watchwords or lexicon or stocks in trade of the media, of our social landscape, of stresses between peoples. Discrimination, racism, sexism, and all the other “ism”s that subtly, and not so subtly, work their way into our awareness and cling to narrow and literal definitions of “Christian”, while forsaking the core of Christianity – love. (When people say that they are “terrified” for the future, there is something desperately wrong.)
How can this be a foundation for a better world? Whatever happened to Paul’s admonishment to think and act on what is noble, what is right, what is true? How can we celebrate the goodness of God’s creation if our minds are filled with ideology, thoughts and images of areas of our world that WE have made ugly?
I read again the prayer of St. Francis, and wonder if in this environment one can survive being an “instrument of God’s peace”? Is it possible for truth to overcome error and falsehood, and hope and joy overcome despair and sadness?
The answer is YES! It is always yes. Our doubt is dispelled through faith. When we pardon, we are pardoned. When we love others, we are loved. When we forgive, we are forgiven, and when we seek to understand, we are understood.
Here is the rub: We pardon. We love. We forgive. We seek to understand. These are things we do as disciples of Christ, that we, individually, initiate, that we actively do.
When we pardon, love, forgive, seek to understand others and it is not returned…what then?
Paul has an answer for that: Do not dwell on that, only on what is right and what is true. Love is powerful, pass it on. Be at peace, pass it on. Amen.
Bulletin Board:
A renewed call for prayers for Nancy Jamerson, Sue Kelly, Pastor Judy Follis, for all who are hurting in the wake of the present pandemic.
A bit a wisdom for us seniors: The biggest lie we tell ourselves is, “I don’t need to write that down, I’ll remember it.”
And have you noticed that people our age look so much older than we do.
Morning Prayer:
The Prayer of St. Francis
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand;
To be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen.
