Thursday, January 2, 2003
Thursday, January 2, 2003
No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love
is
perfected in us.
That is love, isn't it? Love is more than an emotion. Love is found in concrete acts of caring.
(1 John 4.12
NRSV)
A certain man tells about his father who several years ago had a blood clot to go to his brain
and
he was operated on. The doctors had to remove the part of his brain which deals with
communication skills (reading, writing, speech). He has what is technically called Aphasia, so it
is very difficult for him to communicate. He has in essence had to teach himself how to write
and
read again. When he does write letters, it may take him days to finish. Recently, he wrote one
of
his daughters a letter. In that letter this old gentleman with aphasia recorded a memory that
was
stored in his brain since he was three years old. We hear so much about repressed memories
of child abuse, but this memory was different. Here is what he wrote (remember that he is
writing under that cloud of aphasia): "I can remember the many times when 'Colly' (his father)
proved his love to his children. Like when I was age 3, Sandhill, Carrol County (Georgia), late
at
night--cold winter--no electric lights or electric water except a well--and at night the bucket had
slivers of ice--no heat in the house except the fireplace--covered with ashes to keep enough to
warm the babies--Reese (his name) was thirsty--3 a.m.--a sound--`Daddy, Daddy, I'm thirsty.'
With a flash a match was struck--and as magic (no electric lights) light appeared from
kerosene
lamp--I could hear my daddy walking toward the kitchen--then smash some ice--and in a flash I
had stood up--in a minute--an angel of mercy without any fuss--with one hand on a lamp and
the
other hand holding a glass of fresh cold water--to hold a glass for a boy--and the same hand,
so
warm, holding the dripping of water under the boy's chin 'Thank you daddy'--No kissing, not
necessary--only a warm feeling of being loved."
Dear God, may my love be one of caring. Amen.
