WE ARE ONE IN THE SPIRIT
By Gil Crosby, Moderator – Illinois-Wisconsin District
“If wrinkles must be written upon our brows, let them not be written upon the heart. The spirit should not grow old.”
(James A. Garfield)
Milestones mark the length of our journey or the important places we have been and they seem to be coming faster than those of the past. Proverbs 16:31 says, “Gray hair is a crown of splendor; It is attained by a righteous life.” I believe it also could be obtained just by living a long time. My hair genes are not related to those of Ronald Reagan or a necessarily righteous life.
June 15 passed by like any other day in my life except it added a year to my chronological being. It is a scary number of three score and ten. 70 to those who knew not Lincoln. Many things have been said about growing older among which it isn’t for wimps. I thing Bette Davis once said, “now that I achieved old age I don’t have to be nice to people any more.” She couldn’t have been more wrong. In the African nation of Tanzania the Swahili word for old person is “mzee”.. it also carries the connotation of wisdom when used. It is a term of respect. Far too many people believe respect is something given instead of earned. Being old doesn’t automatically mean people will respect what you have to say.
We old people have accumulated a lot of experience and knowledge in our walk of life. There are parts of it even worth repeating in the hopes someone else doesn’t have to experience it themselves. Especially the rough times. Imparting one’s opinion should be done with caution and in the spirit of love and caring. Some of the worse ways to begin a sentence are “With all due respect….” or “I really respect you BUT…” You can forget anything said before the “but”.
Religious people come across to others many times as people who have all the answers.. We do NOT have all the answers… we have the source of all the answers. We are not the source. We should avoid the tendency to try and make the source fit what we think the answers should be. Don’t’ tell God how he created the earth. Don’t condemn people for whom Jesus may have other plans. Don’t ostracize those with whom Jesus may have lunch.. Look to our own houses and make sure they are in order before trying to reorder someone else’s house.
Seventy years doesn’t seem that long looking back.. It looks even worse when looking ahead and thinking that becomes the shorter distance of my life. But if I am still here then God surely isn’t finished with me and has something left for me to do. My job becomes doing what I can where I am in the shape I’m in.
“If wrinkles must be written upon our brows, let them not be written upon the heart. The spirit should not grow old.”(James A. Garfield)
Milestones mark the length of our journey or the important places we have been and they seem to be coming faster than those of the past. Proverbs 16:31 says, “Gray hair is a crown of splendor; It is attained by a righteous life.” I believe it also could be obtained just by living a long time. My hair genes are not related to those of Ronald Reagan or a necessarily righteous life.
June 15 passed by like any other day in my life except it added a year to my chronological being. It is a scary number of three score and ten. 70 to those who knew not Lincoln. Many things have been said about growing older among which it isn’t for wimps. I thing Bette Davis once said, “now that I achieved old age I don’t have to be nice to people any more.” She couldn’t have been more wrong. In the African nation of Tanzania the Swahili word for old person is “mzee”.. it also carries the connotation of wisdom when used. It is a term of respect. Far too many people believe respect is something given instead of earned. Being old doesn’t automatically mean people will respect what you have to say.
We old people have accumulated a lot of experience and knowledge in our walk of life. There are parts of it even worth repeating in the hopes someone else doesn’t have to experience it themselves. Especially the rough times. Imparting one’s opinion should be done with caution and in the spirit of love and caring. Some of the worse ways to begin a sentence are “With all due respect….” or “I really respect you BUT…” You can forget anything said before the “but”.
Religious people come across to others many times as people who have all the answers.. We do NOT have all the answers… we have the source of all the answers. We are not the source. We should avoid the tendency to try and make the source fit what we think the answers should be. Don’t’ tell God how he created the earth. Don’t condemn people for whom Jesus may have other plans. Don’t ostracize those with whom Jesus may have lunch.. Look to our own houses and make sure they are in order before trying to reorder someone else’s house.
Seventy years doesn’t seem that long looking back.. It looks even worse when looking ahead and thinking that becomes the shorter distance of my life. But if I am still here then God surely isn’t finished with me and has something left for me to do. My job becomes doing what I can where I am in the shape I’m in.
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