HOW ARE YOU DOING?
by Bishop C. William Page
It was a beautiful, lively, promising Tuesday afternoon. My wife had asked me to drive to a local seafood restaurant and pick up dinner foods. Upon my return, as I exited the car, a young neighborhood boy, approximately twelve years old, was walking by. "How are you?", I asked. "Fine, how about you?", was the reply. "Alright", I responded. And so, having exchanged the usual pleasantries, we went on our predetermined ways.by Bishop C. William Page
As I proceeded to my door, I began to think about the exchange. "How are you?". That's what I had asked. The question revolving in my mind was, do I really care? Do I really, really care how he is? Suppose he had said, "I'm hungry, without money and in need of help". Would I have helped him? Well, yes, I believe I would have. That's just the kind of person I am. But the real question is, would it have been burdensome to me to have to respond to his need? The central question is, would I rather that he had said "fine" even if he was not fine rather than have to entertain the burden of responding to his need? This is a central question every Christian should ask. We need to examine ourselves and discover who we really are. Is the love of Christ in us strong enough to enable us to reach beyond ourselves and help others with the same zeal and enthusiasm with which we would help ourselves? After all, the second great commandment is, "Love thy neighbor as thyself". If we really love our neighbors as ourselves we should not find helping them a burdensome task. Rather, it should be a labor of love.
Thank God for language. Thank God for words. Words hedge. Words cover us and hide the ugliness which really dwells within us. If the true sentiments of our hearts were immediately revealed as we interact with others, many of us would stand shamefully naked and our wretchedness would betray all pretence of decency. Yet, while words may provide a cover, they do not provide The necessary cover. Only Jesus Christ can do that.
If we have been hiding behind the "safe" cover of words, let us now reject that untenable position and get into the real haven of safety. That haven is Jesus Christ. He is a special haven. Not only can we get into Him, He can also get into us. What a great and unique haven! This haven will not just cover us, He will transform us into what we really ought to be. No longer will we need the artificial and unreliable cover of words. Through Christ we can speak with a pure heart and clear conscience. That which is Holy will proceed not only from our lips through language but from our hearts through love.
Copyright © 1998 Clarence William Page. All Rights Reserved.