Good morning…
Eugene Peterson spent zillions of hours translating the entire Bible into a relatable language for us common people. The Message translation is an inviting gift to our world, a gift birthed by Peterson’s long obedience in the same direction.
Leif Peterson eulogizing his late father, Eugene, at the First Presbyterian Church in Kalispell, Montana on November 3, 2018. He shared a poem he had written which concluded with his dad’s singular lifetime message:
God loves you.
He’s on your side.
He’s coming after you.
He’s relentless.
As we read Leif’s poem out loud from the introduction of our book in class on Sunday, we realized that this one clear message is shared by so many of our favorite spiritual mentors. Richard Rohr. Jan Richardson. Betty Skinner. Henri Nouwen. Yesterday’s devotional from the Henri Nouwen Society shares the same singular message.
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Before Birth And After Death, an excerpt from Finding My Way Home: Pathways to Life and the Spirit by Henri Nouwen
I am a human being who was loved by God before I was born and whom God will love after I die. This brief lifetime is my opportunity to receive love, deepen love, grow in love, and give love. When I die love continues to be active, and from full communion with God I am present by love to those I leave behind.
Reflection Question: On this day when we remember Henri Nouwen’s untimely death 30 years ago, how will you give yourself to receiving, deepening, growing, and giving love?
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My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God (1 John 4:7, Message).
…Sue…
P.S. Yesterday was the 30th anniversary of Henri Nouwen’s death. Might you watch with me this video honoring the living legacy of love Henri leaves behind?
