I love stories. Please hear me with that phrase. I do not mean embellishment or lies. I love well plotted true or imagined stories. Stories that have creativity, imagination, joy, slight intrigue, and ones that honor all folks. I have read books all my life. I have been known to tell a story or two myself. My granddaughter and I used to tell ongoing stories when she was little. One of us would start and the other would then continue the imaginative storyline. We switched back and forth for narration the entire story.
Stories are easy to remember and experience! We all have a story. Our lives are made up of many chapters. Sometimes the characters change. Some characters remain the same through the years of our life.
I have just ordered a book. In all honesty I cannot remember all the dynamics which drew me to this book. But in the subtitle of In My Grandmother’s House” is the phrase “the stories we inherit.” Stories have opportunity to leave a legacy for what was, what is, and point to what could be.
My Grandfather was one such man that left a lasting legacy of story. He was revered by everyone in the family. In fact, when we went to Chicago to visit, we would sit in the front row as he preached his sermon. He always had a way of making those that listened to him feel encouraged and important. When we visited, Grandpa used to include in his sermon a phrase something like – “This week my granddaughter, or son, daughter, grandson taught me . . .”
This past year my brother and sister worked very hard at converting Grandpa’s reel to reel recording of sermons into computer format on thumb drives. For the first time in over thirty years, I have been listening again to my Grandpa’s voice. It amazes me how timely his sermons are for our world today!
One of his sermons which I listened to this week talked about story. Specifically he named the collective story of community. Often the loudest voices make a splash in the headlines! Grandpas says “History is made up of headlines!” And my goodness what headlines we have lately. Weather events, random gun violence and racial injustice. And if we review the historical headlines, we see that over time that the nature and highlight of the headlines gradually shifts. 50 years ago we did not have such wild weather with Tasmania, wild fires, scorching heat in the triple digits. And now barely a day goes by when these items are not highlighted in the headlines. But the story of headlines are not just made by forces beyond our control. Human bullying, belittling, violence, tragedy, and on occasion hope comprise many of our headline stories. Folks like you and me with our values, and those beyond Christian values comprise the essence of headline stories.
The criteria for a lasting legacy is not the flash of headline news story. The criteria for lasting legacy of story is love. I am not just speaking of the kind of cultural love that has us falling in and out of emotional love with others. But a foundational love which influences how we engage others; how we listen to folks and how we speak.
The Scripture
This foundational love is the biblical love that Paul urges disciples to live with sincerity in Romans 12. God’s love is the energy of our story! This foundational love is God lived in and through our lives as we make the intentional choice to let our love of God be the influencing choice for how we live in relationship with others. God’s love for us and our love for God has potential to shade our world view of how to have an inclusive love for all people, our thoughts, and actions.
The love Paul is urging disciples to live is not emotional – although we have a deep felt sense of God’s peace as we love others and God. It is an attitude; a choice, a mind-set. It is a matter of will. This aligns our will and choices with God’s will.
Today’s Prayer Practice
Learning how to live God’s love is a life-long journey. It is being present to one another without judgement, listening, encouraging, and lifting the other up – just like my Grandpa did.
Loving others with the passion and heart of God’s love – mercy, justice, forgiveness – is not always easy! There is a cost. It is releasing our personal ego desires, culture’s views of success and letting God lead our lives. That means we must be very intentional to be in intimate relationship with God.
Today’s prayer is an Examen. Find a quiet place to ponder how your story of life creates and leaves a legacy of God’s love for others. Be specific. what stories to do pass on to others so that your legacy of love is lasting? Along with this remember the stories of God’s love which you have inherited from others. Celebrate God’s goodness through these stories.
May your story of life, as you engage others become living legacies of God’s love for the world.
Enjoy praying.
