Wednesday, February 6, 2002
Wednesday, February 6, 2002
"This is indeed the will of my Father, that all who see the Son and believe in him
may have eternal life; and I will raise them up on the last day."
It was an unsettling question for people who had built their self-esteem on their wealth or their
family name or their exalted job title. Not that the old man was a fierce interrogator. He was
delighted by a woman who answered, "I'm doing a good job raising three children," and by a
cabinetmaker who said, "I believe in good workmanship and practice it," and by a woman who
said, "I started a bookstore and it's the best bookstore for miles around." "I don't really care
how they answer," said the old man. "I just want to put the thought into their minds. They
should live their lives in such a way that they can have a good answer. Not a good answer for
me, but for themselves. That's what's important."
"What have you done that you believe in and you are proud of?"
(John 6.40
NRSV)
John W. Gardner, founding chairman of Common Cause, tells of a cheerful old man who
asked a question of just about every new acquaintance he fell into conversation with: "What
have you done," he would ask, "that you believe in and you are proud of?" He never asked
conventional questions such as "What do you do for a living?" It was always, "What have you
done that you believe in and are proud of?"
Dear God, in believe in you, and I am proud to serve you. Amen.
 Click here to Vote for this site! |
 Click here to Subscribe! |
|---|