REFLECTIONS

Extra! Extra!

“Extra! Extra! Read all about it,” was once a common cry heard on street corners in cities across America. Back then the cry was a common way to sensationalize the news whether there was anything extraordinary or not. But there was seldom anything additional in the news or the publication even though the cry suggested otherwise.

Something extra seems to be an ever-present pressure placed on our lives. More, more, more, is the incessant cry heard or pressure felt each day. Ordinary living is not enough. There is a sense that life requires more of us than earning a living, keeping a home, and nurturing a family. Pressures are brought to bear from institutions, employers, peers, and even personal values that something extra is required to live a meaningful life. And it all rests on our respective shoulders to do more, have more, and be more.

But Jesus said little about doing extra. His message did affirm the commands to love God and our neighbor. And there are acts of service and love for God and for one another to be included in our daily lives. But those are not extra.

God spoke through Isaiah, “Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter —when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. (Isaiah 58:7-8)

There is no separation between the secular and the sacred. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, (Colossians 3:23). Each day presents needs to be met in other’s lives. If it is not food that someone needs, they may still need nourishment for their soul; someone may have a roof over their head, but still need protection from the forces of evil around them. A person dressed in the finest clothes, may also be seeking forgiveness for a wrong concealed deep within them.

On some occasions there may be extra things we are called to do. But those extras are of no greater importance than the routine matters that confront our lives each day. They are no more important things than teaching our children to love, or leading our co-workers to believe, or showing our neighbors how to care for one another.

There are smiles to give, helping hands to extend, and mouths to feed. There are doors to open, wounds to close, troubles to hear, and joys to share. The love of Christ is in them all.

And nothing extra is required.

 You are the light of the world,

Richard+

www.reflectingthesavior.org

Click here for Printer Friendly Version