In his book Sources of Strength, former President Jimmy Carter wrote about interviewing Eloy Cruz, a Cuban pastor, who had gained tremendous respect among poor immigrants from Puerto Rico. Carter asked him, “What is the secret to your success?” Pastor Cruz replied, “Señor Jimmy, we need to have only two loves for our lives, love for God, and love for the person who happens to be in front of us at any time.”

I love that! I have a friend whose spiritual disciple is to try to see the image of God in every person she meets: cashiers, waiters, teachers, strangers, etc. Think about how that would change our interactions, how we listen, how we speak.

Jesus said that the greatest commandment is to Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind. And, the second is like it, to love your neighbor as yourself. He went on to say that these two commandments are the sum of all the law and the prophets. 

Let us pray: Loving and Gracious God, help us to love you with all our heart. And help us to love whichever person happens to be standing in front of us at any point in time. 

Today we pray for people who serve us regularly, nurses, men and women in the military, firefighters, teachers, doctors, police officers, and other public servants. We also pray for those who serve behind the scenes, and for those we most often forget. May your blessing rain down on them, we ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Yesterday, we reflected on this idea of standing at a crossroads or a threshold.

Poet and philosopher John O’Donahue writes about these pivotal moments. He put it this way: “…there are huge thresholds in every life… for instance… if you are in the middle of your life on a busy evening, with 50 things to do, and you get a phone call that somebody that you love is suddenly dying, it takes 10 seconds to communicate that information. But when you put the phone down, you are already standing in a different world, because suddenly, everything that seemed so important before is all gone, and now you are thinking of this. So the given world that we think is there, and the solid ground we are on is so tentative…”

“If you go back to the etymology of the word “threshold,” it’s a farming term. It comes from “threshing,” which is to separate the grain from the husk. So the threshold, in a way, is a place where you move into more critical and challenging and worthy fullness.”

If you think about it. There are many thresholds/crossroads in every life. You can think of graduations, births, and the loss of loved ones, even at the onset of illness or an accident. It could be reaching a major milestone, hitting rock bottom with addiction, or a transcendent moment… or a global pandemic.

These crossroads, these thresholds, are ever invitations to a new stage of the journey. They are invitations to look deeper at our lives, to reflect on our faith, to ask for help if we need it, to recall what is most important, to look for the light, and quite possibly to make a new beginning. They are ever invitations to heal and to grow and deepen.

As the prophet, Jeremiah said, “Stand at the crossroads and look, and ask for the ancient paths where the good way lies, and walk in it. And find rest for your souls.”

Let us pray: Gracious God, in the pivotal moments of life, grant us courage and strength, and hope. Help us to see, if nothing else, only the very next step along the path. Assure us with your presence. We ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Today’s message was written by the founder of Dial Hope, the Rev. Roger Kunkel

A doctor devoted as much of his spare time as he could to a charity clinic. One day an elderly gentleman was ushered into the physician’s private offices downtown.

“Remember me, Doctor?’ the man asked. “You treated me over at the charity clinic. I’ve come into some money lately, and I can afford to pay for the service of a doctor now.” “But what made you come to me?’ the physician wanted to know. “I wasn’t the only doctor who treated you at the clinic.” “I know,” the old man said quietly, “But you were the only one who helped me with my coat.”

Christianity is not an explanation but a demonstration of God’s love and kindness living in the human heart. You don’t have to give away great sums of money to show your concern. You don’t have to be eloquent to tell someone you care. Caring is making room in your heart for an individual and their problem. Sometimes simply being available, giving a friendly touch, a smile, a hug, or just listening, is caring.

May God be with you every moment of this day.

Let us pray: Loving God, with each new day your promise of hope is restored, in every sunrise we see your face; in every sunset, we rest in your arms. Each day is like the first day you created with the same invitation – for us to live in your image, to work creatively, to practice random acts of kindness. Sprinkle us with your love so our mustard-seed faith will grow like large elms whose leafy arms stretch to the heavens, and arch in prayer. Give us the faith of the rising sun, the trust of trees, and the hope that springs eternal from constant prayer. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The book of Nehemiah describes the rebuilding of the wall around Jerusalem after its citizens had returned from many years of exile. At its completion, there was great celebration. The scripture reads, “They offered great sacrifices that day and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy; the women and children also rejoiced. The joy of Jerusalem was heard far away.”

The Spiritual Formation Bible offers supplemental quotes and even activities designed to help one grow in the faith. I’ve been using this Bible for morning devotions for some time now, and recently I came across an exercise based on that Nehemiah passage that I’d like to share.

Grab a pen and paper and then set a timer for two minutes. During that time, write down all the ways that God has given you joy. How many joys can you list? Jot down whatever comes to mind – small and great things, those that seem really important, and those that may seem insignificant. If you draw a blank, think about different aspects of your life – past, present, family, friends, work, faith community, God’s creation, etc. When the time is up, go back and reread your list. Then give thanks to God.

May you find this exercise to be as uplifting as I did. It gave me perspective, and I found my spirit soaring.

Let us pray: God of Hope, you have filled our lives with blessing. Help us call to mind today all that brings life and joy. For all this, we give you thanks. Amen.

Yesterday we reflected on moments of awe and wonder. I learned recently that the Greek root for the word “beauty” is related to the word for “calling.” The words are “kalon” and “kalein.”

The Christian poet and philosopher, John O’Donahue makes the claim that in the presence of beauty, in the presence of awe and wonder, and kindness and goodness, it’s not a neutral thing, but it’s actually calling you – calling something out of you…

And again, it could be that you are being called to go to a deeper place within your faith. Or perhaps, you’re being called to heal or to transfigure what has hardened or got wounded within you. Or it could be a calling to engage the world creatively in some new way… to grow or to serve or to give to meet the needs that God has placed on your heart.

Today, I pray that when you find yourself in the presence of beauty, or whenever you experience a moment of transcendence, awe or wonder, may your heart be open. And may the still small voice of God begin its quiet work within you.

Let us pray: Loving God, we pray again that you would open us to your healing, transforming grace. May your Spirit touch our spirits. And may we ever be channels of the blessings we’ve received. Amen.