Faith is measured by what you give not what you get. Jesus teaches that to save your life, you must loose it. And we remember the adage, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” We think about how we are giving ourselves to God by helping to fulfill God’s hopes and dreams for a peaceful, flourishing creation.
Sometimes what is needed by people going through difficult times, by people in challenging situations, is not a hand out, but a listening ear. A compassionate soul who cares. There are times when love is expressed simply by embracing the pain of another through listening to her/his story. By giving of our time and our attention, we can receive the pain, the frustration, the sorrow, the regret, the despair, of another.
In this way, we give by receiving. We offer compassion and solidarity by receiving the stories of pain and suffering and challenge of another. By receiving their experience, we give empathy and caring. A bond is formed. A connection is made. Isolation dissolves.
So, sometimes our giving takes place in the form of receiving.
Prayer: Jesus gave himself fully to others. Sometimes he offered healing. Sometimes food. Sometimes forgiveness. Sometimes simply a listening ear and solidarity. Help us to remember that we, too, can give of ourselves for the healing of the world simply by listening. By offering an attentive ear and a willing spirit, we give by receiving the pain of another sharing healing comfort and compassion. May we never be too busy to give by receiving the stories of others. Amen.
Lakewood United Church of Christ 