It was one of my colleague’s favorite expressions. He had many sayings. When life was hard and things were getting rough, he would say “We are walking through tall grass now!” But this favorite saying influenced the entire way he prioritized his life. If someone was on the street corner with a sign or a hand outstretched, he would stop and give whatever money was in his pocket. He didn’t need to know their story. He simply saw their need and trusted that his money would be used for good.
One time in the middle of a busy workday, when I had just returned from receiving bad news, I wandered into his office. He immediately swung his chair around, walked over to the table pushed out a chair and invited me to sit. He listened. He was never too busy to listen. This saying, “Walk the Talk” influenced all that he did each day of his life. He wanted his faith to be lived on the outside – through engagement with others- not just quite prayer on the inside. And yet, the depth of inside connection is what empowered his outward action.
This colleague lived the definition of Christian spiritual formation which I teach my seminarian students. Originally coined by the late Robert Mulholland Jr, “Christian spiritual formation is a process of being more nearly conformed to the image of Christ for the sake of others.”[1] Our interior prayer life which roots and grounds us in love of God is the catalyst for all our outward actions. We are invited this day to Walk the Talk.
The Scripture
This is the encouragement and challenge of our Scripture for this day. In 2 John 1:1-13, John wrote to a fledging house church which was struggling to hold fast to the truth of Jesus’ Incarnation and resurrection. that was the foundation upon which John built that community of believers. In this personal letter, he poured out love reminding the small group of believers that even when all society around them looks menacing and dismissive of the truth of God’s love, they are to hold fast. The beauty of God’s tangible love is to be seen, experienced, and felt by others. John encouraged and challenged them gently to holdfast. They are to be intentional to have their professions of faith match the actions and words which they live. They are to live out loud engaging others and God through their actions and words.
Today’s Prayer Practice
Today we are going to do an Examen of sorts. You are invited to take an assessment of the strengths, weakness, opportunities, and threats to your faith. This SWOT analysis of our personal faith becomes our prayer of Examen for God’s invitation and encouragement to you through our conflicted and violent world.
First, make a grid with four sections on your paper. Then label each of the section beginning in the upper left quadrant labeled Strength, then move right and label it Weakness, and the bottom two respective quadrants labeled Opportunities and Threats. I have indicated in each of the sections below what to pray about for each section. The wonder is how are you walking the talk of your faith? What opportunities arise for you to step up, step in, or kneel down for love to faith to be action as you walk your talk of faith?
Here is a sample.
- Strength – 2. Weakness
Here you write your strengths of faith. – Here you write your weakness of faith.
————————————————————————————————————————–
Here write the opportunities of faith – Here write the threats to you for you in our current world. – in our current world.
3. Opportunities 4. Threats
When you complete your chart and Examen, consider what invitation God is opening for you in personal faith, within community relationships, and in your love of God.
Enjoy Praying.
[1] Robert Mulholland, Jr. Shaped by the Word. Nashville, TN. Upper Room Books. Page 25.
