Your Life as a Letter

In his second letter to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul writes:

“You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by all, and you show that you are a letter of Christ, prepared by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.” (2 Corinthians 3:2-3)

You yourselves are our letter.

In that culture, letters of recommendation were often used as a means of introducing or commending someone. And Paul is saying: You yourselves are a visible sign of Christ’s work in your lives.

Have you ever thought about your life as a letter to be read? If your life were a letter, what would it say? What would others read, when they looked at you?

I hope they would see Christ’s love reflected in your generosity and kindness. I hope they would experience his grace and love in your interactions with them, and in your care for others. I hope his peace would be present in the way in which you build bridges with those who see the world differently than you.

I like this metaphor because it is so true. When people look at our lives and how we live, they can see what we believe, and what we value. The old adage is true: You are the only Bible that some people will ever read. And this is true. Your life is saying something.

Christ is seeking to write a letter, a love letter, to the world on your heart.

If your life were a letter, what would it say?

Let us pray: Fill us anew with your grace, mercy, and love, O God, that these gifts would shine through our everyday words and actions. May the letter, that is our life, speak to the world’s deepest need. Amen.