Tuesday, February 18, 2003
Tuesday, February 18, 2003
I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved
you, you also should love one another.
Twenty-five years later another sociology professor came across the earlier study. He had his
students follow up on the project to see what had happened to these boys. With the exception of
20 boys who had moved away or died, the students learned that 176 of the remaining 180 had
achieved extraordinarily successful as lawyers, doctors and businessmen.
The professor was astounded and decided to pursue the matter further. Fortunately, all the men
were in the area and he was able to ask each one, "How do you account for your success?" In
each case the reply came with feeling, "There was a teacher."
That teacher was still alive, so he sought her out and asked the elderly but still alert woman what
magic formula she had used to pull these boys out of the slums into successful achievement.
The teacher's eyes sparkled and her lips broke into a gentle smile. "It's really very simple," she
said. "I loved those boys." No wonder those boys succeeded. Their teacher loved them.
Will you let God love you? Will you love someone?
(John 13.43
NRSV)
Eric Butterworth once told about a college professor who had his sociology class go into the
Baltimore slums to get case histories of 200 young boys. The students were asked to write an
evaluation of each boy's future. In every case the students wrote, "He hasn't got a chance."
God of love, help me to receive and give your awesome love. Amen.
