Speak Truth
The phrase, “Preach the Gospel and if necessary use words” is attributed to Saint Francis of Assisi. Many believe his message is to share the Gospel through your actions by showing love, compassion and mercy to others. There is also another popular phrase, “they will know we are Christians by our love” which comes from the Gospel of John, chapter 13:34-35. Jesus says, “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
The general definition of love is to have ‘constant affection’. The Bible says, in 1Corinthians 13:4-8a, “love is patient and kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing but rejoices in the truth; love never ends.”
I see examples of this type of love in First Responders such as Fire Fighters who go into a building that is up in flames to retrieve a person who is stuck inside. I see it in the Nurses and Doctors who spend years taking classes and continue to stay up to date on medical procedures to provide care to those injured, in pain and suffering chronic illness. I see it in Physical and Occupational Therapists who work one on one with patients who are coming back from an injury. Many of these patients give their Therapist difficulty because their job is to encourage them to take one more step and the patients run out of patience!
Some other examples include the teacher who stays late to help a struggling student or the cashier whose light is off, stays to run through the last few customers during a rush. It’s the person who pays for the coffee of the customer behind them in the drive thru or volunteers at the food pantry. The one who prepares a dish for a funeral dinner or takes a meal to family who is experiencing a tough time. And I can go on and on.
In the world, there are several examples, both big and small, of love given. Love is in our DNA so it only makes sense that there are so many occupations where we share it. We give support to others, we heal others, we bring comfort, we provide for one another’s needs and through these actions, we are giving love. Our daily, small acts of service to others is how we speak the Gospel without words.
Yes, there are times when our patience is tested and we can’t find an ounce of kindness inside of us no matter how deep we dig. We can feel as though we are the only ones giving and can become resentful. I know from personal experience I have gotten irritated when I asked for someone to wash the dishes in the sink and when I come home, the dirty dishes are unwashed. These emotions are normal.
However, it how we choose to manage the emotions. Will I choose to let them rage, lashing out on whomever is in my path or will I choose to speak love? A disobedient child who causes us frustration, is not loved any less because they are disobedient. This is the message of the Gospel, to love others even when it is difficult. It is a real challenge which I also see in the world each day.
These are just a few examples of situations we might be confronted with and will need to make a choice on how to handle. Do I honk my horn and yell profanity to the person driving the car that just cut me off? How do I reply to a subordinate worker who has missed the deadline for the project once again? What do I say to the waitress who brought me the wrong meal? It’s easy to say we would not respond negatively, but when put in the scenario, we might react differently.
For me, the words of Saint Francis of Assisi are not something that come naturally because as a human I find it hard to give love if I don’t feel love. What I’ve learned through my study of the scripture is that as a Christian, I’m called to something more, something better. God first loved me, so I am sent forth to love others.
Even though love is in my DNA, I have to work at and practice sharing love, compassion and mercy with others whom I find it difficult to love. Some days are better than others but the ultimate goal as a Christian is to be able to share love through our actions; how we care for and support one another.
I am able to see examples in scripture of how Jesus showed love. The more I learn, the easier it is for me to make the choice to love those who hurt me or disagree with my point of view. I am not perfect, but I know that because God loves me, it is okay. I pray that with each day I get better at speaking the gospel with my actions and by my example, others are inspired to do the same.
