A lay evangelist who traveled around the country a few years ago speaking to groups and churches once told about an “epiphany” moment in her travels. She said, “ I travel around speaking for God and in the process I’m forced to use gas station restrooms which are almost always filthy! I used to complain about that to God. I’d say, Lord, if I’m your servant how come I’ve got to use these dirty restrooms?” One day in the midst of this kind of complaint, God seemed to say, “I come into this restroom right after you!”
From that moment on, the preacher never left a public restroom without cleaning the mirror, wiping the sink and picking towels off the floor. Then she would pray, “There you are, Lord. I hope it’s clean enough for you.” From then on, instead of bemoaning the mess she found, she began to think of the person who would be coming in after her!
To imitate the love of Christ demands more than being “nice” to one another. To imitate Christ is to recognize Christ in one another, to serve Christ in one another, to welcome Christ in one another. To imitate Jesus is to take up the cross and what it stands for - unconditional forgiveness, the total emptying of ourselves of our wants and comfort for the sake of another, the spurning of safety and convention in order to do what is right and just. Christ asks us to embrace the faith that opens our hearts and spirits to recognize and honor him in every human being!
In our first reading this weekend from the second book of Kings, Elisha, the prophet, and the couple in Shunem, both gave what the other needed. The couple gave Elisha a place to stay, and Elisha gave the couple the promise of a child. This is the way a Christian community is meant to work. Each gives of what he has to enrich the life of someone else. In such a setting real peace is possible because every person is assured that others will make an honest effort to meet the needs of all. What can you give today? What do you need?