TAKING TIME TO LOVE

#1 · February 13, 2004, 10:37 am

Quote from Forum Archives on February 13, 2004, 10:37 am
Posted by: henkf <henkf@...>

May the Love of the Lord be as much talked about as the love of Valentine's Day!

*******************************************

TAKING TIME TO LOVE

Matthew 22:34-40 1 John 4:7-11 ; 19-21 Billy Rose once told a story about a young man and his father who had a small farm. Several times a year they would make a trip to market with their ox-cart loaded with vegetables.

The son was an impatient sort. He would always prod the ox with a stick to hurry it along. His father, however, believed in following a more leisurely gait. The son wanted to get to market first thing the next morning in order to beat the other vendors to the best spot. The father, however, had other priorities.

At one point their way passed by the boy's uncle's house. The father stopped the ox and went in to chat with his brother for more than an hour.

When they started out on their way again, they came to a fork in the road. The young man wanted to take the left fork because it was faster, but the father turned the ox toward the right because it was prettier. While it was still twilight the father chose the loveliest spot of all to stop for the night. "You're more interested in flowers," snapped the son, "than in making money."

"That's the nicest thing you've said in a long time," replied the father. The next morning the impatient young man awoke his father well before sunrise. They hitched up the ox and again made their way toward the city. A short distance along the way, however, they came upon another farmer whose cart was stuck in a ditch. "Let's give him a hand," said the father. The young man protested, but he knew he might as well do his part, or they would simply be delayed that much longer. By this time, it was almost eight o'clock.

Suddenly a great flash of lightning split the sky. Then there was thunder. Beyond the hills, the sky grew very dark. "Looks like a big rain in the city," said the old man. "If we had been on time, we'd be sold out by now," grumbled his son. "Take it easy," said the old gentleman, "you'll last longer." It wasn't until late in the afternoon that they got to the top of the hill overlooking the town. They looked down at it for a long time. Neither of them spoke. Finally the young man who had been in such a hurry said, very quietly, "I see what you mean, father." Then they turned their cart around and drove away from what had once been the city of Hiroshima. (1)

. Now let's consider another story. This time it is a scene in a play. It's from Thornton Wilder's classic play, OUR TOWN.

I want to take you to the scene where Emily dies. After her death she goes to the graveyard. There she is told that she can return to her home to witness one day in her life. "Which day would you like?" she is asked. And she said, "Oh, I remember how happy I was on my twelfth birthday." And all the people in the graveyard say, "Emily, don't do it. Don't do it Emily." But she wants to. She wants to see Mama and Papa again. So the scene switches, and there she is, twelve years old, and she's gone back in time to that wonderful day she remembers. She comes down the stairs in a pretty dress. But her mother is so busy making the cake for her birthday that she cannot stop long enough to look at her. She says, "Mama, look at me. I'm the birthday girl." And Mama says, "Fine, birthday girl. Sit down and have your breakfast." And Emily stands there and says, "Mama, look at me." But Mama doesn't. Papa comes in, but he's so busy making money for her that he never looks at her either, and neither does brother. The scene ends with her standing in the middle of the stage saying, "Please somebody, just look at me. I don't need the cake or the money. Please look at me." And nobody does. She turns to her mother once more and says, "Please Mama?" Then she turns sorrowfully to the stage manager and says, "Take me away. I've forgotten what it was like to be human. Nobody looks at anybody. Nobody cares anymore, do they?"

Well, actually, we do care. But sometimes we forget. We forget to take time to love.

We need to read the New Testament in order to get our priorities rearranged. Matthew 22:34-40 1 John 4:7-11 ; 19-21

The New Testament tells us that the very reason for our being here is love. God is love. We were created from love and for love. "What the world needs now is love, sweet love," wrote the song writer in the sixties. That song is almost a prayer. Remember how it goes? "Lord, we don't need another mountain," or a river or a valley. What we need, he says, is love. And he is right. But if there is a shortage of love in this world, it is certainly not God's fault.

"See how the Father hath loved us," writes John in one of his epistles. You and I would be here all day if we tried to count the ways in which God has bombarded us with the evidence of his love.

Just to start, we could name the sunshine and rain, flood and flowers, tiny babies and doting grandparents. . . The list just goes on and on. As Emily says in another part of OUR TOWN, "O Earth, I never realized how truly wonderful you are." And this wonderful earth is God's gift to us.

But even more impressive than all these material blessings is the gift of God's Son. Suddenly, God's love was given form, flesh, substance.

I heard about a father who was getting bored reading bedtime stories for his little daughter, so he bought her a record player and some very polished recordings of her favorite stories.

But she didn't like the records. She pleaded with her father to read the stories himself. "But I bought you that nice record player," protested the father. "Yes, but the record player doesn't have a lap," said the daughter.

In Jesus Christ, God gave us his Word complete with a lap.

There he is holding a little child in his arms. There he is dining with Zaccheus, bringing love into a despised man's home. His arms are open in forgiveness. His hands are outstretched in healing. His lips speak words of hope to those in despair. And finally he hangs on a cross. "Surely this man is the Son of God," whispers the centurion. He was all that and more. Paul writes, "God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself. . ." Clarence Jordan, in his Cotton Patch version of the Scriptures, translates it something like this: "God was in Jesus hugging the world to himself. . ."

Love is woven into the very fabric of creation. We are not surprised, then, that when Jesus was asked what the great commandment was, he answered, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like unto it. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself."

Nor can we escape the obligation to love, because when we cease loving, we cease being human.

We distinguish three levels of love. The first of which is physical love, which holds people together in families.

"Above this level is a plane called phileo love. Phileo love includes our association in friendships, in professional and social groups, and in all those relationships which rest on community of similar tastes."

Then there is still a higher level of love based upon conscience or agape - Gods kind- of love

A Japanese definition of this Agape-love is as follows :

"If one is walking along the road with an enemy on his right hand, and a sinner on his left, and if he can walk with them without accusing them, or if he can halt his progress to help them, then he has risen to the plane of conscientious or agape- love. Such was the love which Jesus manifested, and to which He summoned his followers, bidding them to do good to those who hated them. . ." (2)

Most people love on a very primitive level--loving only those who love them. But Jesus calls us to experience a very special kind of love.

In his autobiography, Dr. A. J. Cronin tells about a neighboring family, the Adamses. Mr. Adams was an accountant in New York City, but he loved to spend all the hours he could working in the garden of their Connecticut home, accompanied by his only son, Sammy. When World War II broke out, Mrs. Adams suggested that they take a refugee child into their home. Mr. Adams was not enthusiastic about it at first, but finally agreed. The child who eventually came to live with them was a little orphan boy from Central Europe with the name Paul Piotrostanalsis. Unfortunately, as Paul learned the language of his benefactors, he seemed to find it useful only as a means of manipulating the truth into lies. He found it easy to steal, and he showed no affection to the Adams. He did, however, develop a close friendship with the Adams' little son, Sammy.

One day, Paul, in direct violation of instruction, went swimming in a polluted stream near their home and came home with an infection that brought with it a raging fever. Because of the possibility of contagion, Paul was put in a separate room, and Sammy was told not to visit him. Paul eventually came through the crisis, but one morning the family found that Sammy had crawled into bed with Paul and they were breathing into each other's faces. Four days later Sammy died. Dr. Cronin remembers writing to Henry Adams and urging him to get rid of Paul, who had brought them only heartache and trouble. But when Dr. Cronin returned from a trip six months later, and went to visit the Adams', he was surprised to see the familiar sight of a man and boy working side by side in the garden. The boy was Paul. "You still have him?" asked Dr. Cronin with some amazement. "Yes," replied Henry, "and he is doing better now." "All I can say to you, Paul," Cronin muttered, "is that you are a mighty lucky fellow." "And Dr. Cronin," Henry Adams interrupted, "you don't need to bother trying to pronounce his name any more. He is Paul Adams. We have adopted him." (3)

Now that's the kind of love that the world really needs.

That is the kind of love we have received, or we can receive :

Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his own love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

While we were yet sinners, breaking His law, not living up to His expectations, while we were yet in open rebellion toward Him, God Loved so much that he made us heirs - coheirs with Jesus Christ.

Can we who have tasted of this love, can we who have our being in this love, can we who have been called to be partakers of this love , can we do less ?

Can we love less than that when it comes to others ?

Take time to love, my friends. Love those closest to you. But do more than that. Walk in the footsteps of Jesus. Learn to love every person with whom you come into contact. That kind of love can still save this world.

By this Jesus said will all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one for the other !

(1) Billy Rose in READER'S DIGEST. (2) Cecil G. Osborne, THE ART OF UNDERSTANDING YOURSELF, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Books, 1967). (3) From a sermon by the Reverend David Rogne.6

...

---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.585 / Virus Database: 370 - Release Date: 2/11/2004

Posted by: henkf <henkf@...>

May the Love of the Lord be as much talked about as the love of Valentine's Day!

*******************************************

TAKING TIME TO LOVE

Matthew 22:34-40 1 John 4:7-11 ; 19-21 Billy Rose once told a story about a young man and his father who had a small farm. Several times a year they would make a trip to market with their ox-cart loaded with vegetables.

The son was an impatient sort. He would always prod the ox with a stick to hurry it along. His father, however, believed in following a more leisurely gait. The son wanted to get to market first thing the next morning in order to beat the other vendors to the best spot. The father, however, had other priorities.

At one point their way passed by the boy's uncle's house. The father stopped the ox and went in to chat with his brother for more than an hour.

When they started out on their way again, they came to a fork in the road. The young man wanted to take the left fork because it was faster, but the father turned the ox toward the right because it was prettier. While it was still twilight the father chose the loveliest spot of all to stop for the night. "You're more interested in flowers," snapped the son, "than in making money."

"That's the nicest thing you've said in a long time," replied the father. The next morning the impatient young man awoke his father well before sunrise. They hitched up the ox and again made their way toward the city. A short distance along the way, however, they came upon another farmer whose cart was stuck in a ditch. "Let's give him a hand," said the father. The young man protested, but he knew he might as well do his part, or they would simply be delayed that much longer. By this time, it was almost eight o'clock.

Suddenly a great flash of lightning split the sky. Then there was thunder. Beyond the hills, the sky grew very dark. "Looks like a big rain in the city," said the old man. "If we had been on time, we'd be sold out by now," grumbled his son. "Take it easy," said the old gentleman, "you'll last longer." It wasn't until late in the afternoon that they got to the top of the hill overlooking the town. They looked down at it for a long time. Neither of them spoke. Finally the young man who had been in such a hurry said, very quietly, "I see what you mean, father." Then they turned their cart around and drove away from what had once been the city of Hiroshima. (1)

. Now let's consider another story. This time it is a scene in a play. It's from Thornton Wilder's classic play, OUR TOWN.

I want to take you to the scene where Emily dies. After her death she goes to the graveyard. There she is told that she can return to her home to witness one day in her life. "Which day would you like?" she is asked. And she said, "Oh, I remember how happy I was on my twelfth birthday." And all the people in the graveyard say, "Emily, don't do it. Don't do it Emily." But she wants to. She wants to see Mama and Papa again. So the scene switches, and there she is, twelve years old, and she's gone back in time to that wonderful day she remembers. She comes down the stairs in a pretty dress. But her mother is so busy making the cake for her birthday that she cannot stop long enough to look at her. She says, "Mama, look at me. I'm the birthday girl." And Mama says, "Fine, birthday girl. Sit down and have your breakfast." And Emily stands there and says, "Mama, look at me." But Mama doesn't. Papa comes in, but he's so busy making money for her that he never looks at her either, and neither does brother. The scene ends with her standing in the middle of the stage saying, "Please somebody, just look at me. I don't need the cake or the money. Please look at me." And nobody does. She turns to her mother once more and says, "Please Mama?" Then she turns sorrowfully to the stage manager and says, "Take me away. I've forgotten what it was like to be human. Nobody looks at anybody. Nobody cares anymore, do they?"

Well, actually, we do care. But sometimes we forget. We forget to take time to love.

We need to read the New Testament in order to get our priorities rearranged. Matthew 22:34-40 1 John 4:7-11 ; 19-21

The New Testament tells us that the very reason for our being here is love. God is love. We were created from love and for love. "What the world needs now is love, sweet love," wrote the song writer in the sixties. That song is almost a prayer. Remember how it goes? "Lord, we don't need another mountain," or a river or a valley. What we need, he says, is love. And he is right. But if there is a shortage of love in this world, it is certainly not God's fault.

"See how the Father hath loved us," writes John in one of his epistles. You and I would be here all day if we tried to count the ways in which God has bombarded us with the evidence of his love.

Just to start, we could name the sunshine and rain, flood and flowers, tiny babies and doting grandparents. . . The list just goes on and on. As Emily says in another part of OUR TOWN, "O Earth, I never realized how truly wonderful you are." And this wonderful earth is God's gift to us.

But even more impressive than all these material blessings is the gift of God's Son. Suddenly, God's love was given form, flesh, substance.

I heard about a father who was getting bored reading bedtime stories for his little daughter, so he bought her a record player and some very polished recordings of her favorite stories.

But she didn't like the records. She pleaded with her father to read the stories himself. "But I bought you that nice record player," protested the father. "Yes, but the record player doesn't have a lap," said the daughter.

In Jesus Christ, God gave us his Word complete with a lap.

There he is holding a little child in his arms. There he is dining with Zaccheus, bringing love into a despised man's home. His arms are open in forgiveness. His hands are outstretched in healing. His lips speak words of hope to those in despair. And finally he hangs on a cross. "Surely this man is the Son of God," whispers the centurion. He was all that and more. Paul writes, "God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself. . ." Clarence Jordan, in his Cotton Patch version of the Scriptures, translates it something like this: "God was in Jesus hugging the world to himself. . ."

Love is woven into the very fabric of creation. We are not surprised, then, that when Jesus was asked what the great commandment was, he answered, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like unto it. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself."

Nor can we escape the obligation to love, because when we cease loving, we cease being human.

We distinguish three levels of love. The first of which is physical love, which holds people together in families.

"Above this level is a plane called phileo love. Phileo love includes our association in friendships, in professional and social groups, and in all those relationships which rest on community of similar tastes."

Then there is still a higher level of love based upon conscience or agape - Gods kind- of love

A Japanese definition of this Agape-love is as follows :

"If one is walking along the road with an enemy on his right hand, and a sinner on his left, and if he can walk with them without accusing them, or if he can halt his progress to help them, then he has risen to the plane of conscientious or agape- love. Such was the love which Jesus manifested, and to which He summoned his followers, bidding them to do good to those who hated them. . ." (2)

Most people love on a very primitive level--loving only those who love them. But Jesus calls us to experience a very special kind of love.

In his autobiography, Dr. A. J. Cronin tells about a neighboring family, the Adamses. Mr. Adams was an accountant in New York City, but he loved to spend all the hours he could working in the garden of their Connecticut home, accompanied by his only son, Sammy. When World War II broke out, Mrs. Adams suggested that they take a refugee child into their home. Mr. Adams was not enthusiastic about it at first, but finally agreed. The child who eventually came to live with them was a little orphan boy from Central Europe with the name Paul Piotrostanalsis. Unfortunately, as Paul learned the language of his benefactors, he seemed to find it useful only as a means of manipulating the truth into lies. He found it easy to steal, and he showed no affection to the Adams. He did, however, develop a close friendship with the Adams' little son, Sammy.

One day, Paul, in direct violation of instruction, went swimming in a polluted stream near their home and came home with an infection that brought with it a raging fever. Because of the possibility of contagion, Paul was put in a separate room, and Sammy was told not to visit him. Paul eventually came through the crisis, but one morning the family found that Sammy had crawled into bed with Paul and they were breathing into each other's faces. Four days later Sammy died. Dr. Cronin remembers writing to Henry Adams and urging him to get rid of Paul, who had brought them only heartache and trouble. But when Dr. Cronin returned from a trip six months later, and went to visit the Adams', he was surprised to see the familiar sight of a man and boy working side by side in the garden. The boy was Paul. "You still have him?" asked Dr. Cronin with some amazement. "Yes," replied Henry, "and he is doing better now." "All I can say to you, Paul," Cronin muttered, "is that you are a mighty lucky fellow." "And Dr. Cronin," Henry Adams interrupted, "you don't need to bother trying to pronounce his name any more. He is Paul Adams. We have adopted him." (3)

Now that's the kind of love that the world really needs.

That is the kind of love we have received, or we can receive :

Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his own love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

While we were yet sinners, breaking His law, not living up to His expectations, while we were yet in open rebellion toward Him, God Loved so much that he made us heirs - coheirs with Jesus Christ.

Can we who have tasted of this love, can we who have our being in this love, can we who have been called to be partakers of this love , can we do less ?

Can we love less than that when it comes to others ?

Take time to love, my friends. Love those closest to you. But do more than that. Walk in the footsteps of Jesus. Learn to love every person with whom you come into contact. That kind of love can still save this world.

By this Jesus said will all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one for the other !

(1) Billy Rose in READER'S DIGEST. (2) Cecil G. Osborne, THE ART OF UNDERSTANDING YOURSELF, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Books, 1967). (3) From a sermon by the Reverend David Rogne.6

...

---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.585 / Virus Database: 370 - Release Date: 2/11/2004