Good morning…
“Many years ago I was a part of a church in which an upcoming vote would decide the church’s future,” writes Jan Johnson on page 153 in When the Soul Listens. “I asked God to show me the wiser choice, but no insight came. All I seemed to hear was ‘Don’t forget to love.”
“I replied, ‘And?'”
“I realized I wanted an answer I could explain eloquently so I could join one side or the other,” Jan continues. “But I heard only, ‘Don’t forget to love.’ I began to see that, in the logic of God’s Kingdom, whatever the church decided to do wasn’t as important as how we went about deciding: Would we choose to love one another in the process?”
Jan explains, “That led me to ask God how I might be a force of love in that bitter situation. As people quit speaking to each other, I worked at remaining friendly with everyone. When asked for my opinion, I simply restated what I’d heard: ‘God’s will is for us to love each other.'”
“Eventually, I did make a decision, and when it was known, many people I love stopped speaking to me. One time as I sat in wordless contemplation, praying for all of us, I saw a picture of she music in my mind: “The Old Rugged Cross” (a hymn I had not sung for years). When more arguing began during a meeting, I tiptoed forward uninvited and began playing that hymn on the piano. No one knew I could play the piano, which added to the quieting effect. A man who hadn’t spoken to me in days came and sat on the piano bench next to me, and we talked. The crowd seemed to calm.”
Jan concludes: “This was not my idea, I’m a recovering know-it-all, not a peacemaker, and so I would never have stepped out in love – except that God kept showing me the most basic and most important message: Don’t forget to love. I’ve noticed that God often does not tell us which way to go or what to do, but what to be: full of love and integrity.”
Take note of how I love what you tell me; out of your life of love, prolong my life. Your words all add up to the sum total: Truth. Your righteous decisions are eternal (Psalm 119:159-160, MSG).
…Sue…
