“Don’t Just Do Something. Stand There.”
We must think of every human being as “the walking wounded” but we are not to think of how we must fix them. Our help is underway when we greet a stranger, show up in kindness and express concern, and interest. But we must leave the fixing to God. It is enough for us to "stand there" in love. We do not have to do much more than that.
God surrounds us with His Presence. God is healing us every moment. That is where we must be present to people, with people. We greet them. We touch them. We smile at them; listen to them; walk with them. We weep with those who weep. That is love and love is God. Love is the Spirit of God flowing through us.
We must think of every human being as “the walking wounded” but we are not to think of how we must fix them. Our help is underway when we greet a stranger, show up in kindness and express concern, and interest. But we must leave the fixing to God. It is enough for us to "stand there" in love. We do not have to do much more than that.
God surrounds us with His Presence. God is healing us every moment. That is where we must be present to people, with people. We greet them. We touch them. We smile at them; listen to them; walk with them. We weep with those who weep. That is love and love is God. Love is the Spirit of God flowing through us.
But there is a little more we can do:
In a Peanuts cartoon Charlie Brown asks Lucy: “Do pretty girls know they are pretty?”
“Only if somebody tells them,” says Lucy.
Think about that! It’s a metaphor about life in general.
A compliment to a pretty girl makes them even prettier. Kind words are like vitamins, nourishing the spirit, and a nourished spirit makes the body healthier and inspires the person to their own good deeds. Care and kindness is a brilliant way to create an ever-expanding chain of goodwill spreading like a prairie fire across the world, creating much needed global warming.
"What does the Lord require of you? To act justly. To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8). Here is another biblical teaching, slightly embellished: “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is to look after orphans and widows (and strangers, geeks, teenagers, sick people, the walking wounded, the grieving—and everybody else struggling, hurting and handicapped or “handicapable”. (James 1:27).
We can encourage, appreciate, inspire, friends and strangers with loving words, smiles, and compliments and general friendliness. But let’s leave the fixing to God.
In a Peanuts cartoon Charlie Brown asks Lucy: “Do pretty girls know they are pretty?”
“Only if somebody tells them,” says Lucy.
Think about that! It’s a metaphor about life in general.
A compliment to a pretty girl makes them even prettier. Kind words are like vitamins, nourishing the spirit, and a nourished spirit makes the body healthier and inspires the person to their own good deeds. Care and kindness is a brilliant way to create an ever-expanding chain of goodwill spreading like a prairie fire across the world, creating much needed global warming.
"What does the Lord require of you? To act justly. To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8). Here is another biblical teaching, slightly embellished: “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is to look after orphans and widows (and strangers, geeks, teenagers, sick people, the walking wounded, the grieving—and everybody else struggling, hurting and handicapped or “handicapable”. (James 1:27).
We can encourage, appreciate, inspire, friends and strangers with loving words, smiles, and compliments and general friendliness. But let’s leave the fixing to God.
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