Greetings, Sisters, Brothers and Friends of the Community!
I pray this note finds you all well! After a dry and cool July, we are now getting a lot of rain. Some of it has even found its way into the cellar!
Recent troubles in our extended family can leave one scratching his head and wondering, “How are we going to straighten all this out?” People talking past each other, accusations, old baggage, finger-pointing – you’ve probably all been there.
Looking over the lectionary readings for this Sunday’s service, I realized that the passages in Ephesians 4 give us a partial answer at least. This list of St. Paul’s for starting a new life could be used as guidelines for resolving disputes. Let’s take a look at these:
· Put away falsehood; speak the truth
· Remember that we are all spiritual brothers and sisters
· It is OK to be angry - emotions compel us to act, and this is not a sin
· BUT! Once we begin to act, ditch the anger. Emotions cloud judgment and decision-making. Don’t let the sun set on your anger.
· Let no evil talk come out of your mouths; instead, uplift each other.
· Put away all bitterness and wrath and malice; instead, be kind to each other, and forgiving
Bottom line, we are to be imitators of God, as His beloved children should be. Following these rules may be only one of the components needed to resolve issues. Outside help is often needed.
NOT following these rules is a guarantee of failure.
And, oh yeah, here’s the most important part – waiting to see if the other person is going to follow these rules before you do is certain failure. It is critical to have the courage of Christ to take the lead on this, whether or not the other person(s) will do it!
Let us praise God from whom all blessings flow,
Your-caught-in-the-middle-brother,
Br. Daniel-Joseph, CTG
No comments:
Post a Comment