There’s not much been written that says it any better than the chorus of this immensely popular song from the 1960’s that was written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David and has since been recorded by dozens of singers:
What the world needs now,
Is love, sweet love,
It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of.
What the world needs now,
Is love, sweet love,
No, not just for some but for everyone.
Love is . . .
On Sunday morning, while searching for a program I wanted to record, I came across a lady speaking at a Christian women’s conference and, shortly after I tuned in, she made this comment: “Charity … we think of it as an action. Yet, really, isn’t it a state of the heart?”
Included in the definitions of “charity” beyond the one we usually think of … giving to the poor and needy … the American Heritage dictionary states “love of man for his fellow men” and “brotherly love.” An action of the heart, wouldn’t you say?
The words of Jesus, as written in John 15:12 . . .
This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you!
Love in action . . .
This story was recently shared by Reverend Mark Adams, Senior Pastor of Redland Baptist Church in Rockville, Maryland:
More than 37,000 runners competed in the 2012 London Marathon. Wilson Kipsang, from Kenya, won the race in an impressive 2:04:44. Then there was Simone Clarke, who took more than three times as long, but her finish may be more impressive. You see, Simone is a 39-year-old epileptic. Simone suffers about four seizures a day, and needed someone willing to train and run with her. Her friend, Tally Hall, agreed to run the marathon with her and help her if she had a seizure while running. But none of their training runs prepared them for what was to come.
On the beautiful spring morning of the London Marathon, Simone and Tally joined the tens of thousands at the starting point and took off as the gun sounded. For the first seven miles, everything went well. At mile eight, the pain from an ongoing stomach problem triggered Simone’s first seizure. Tally caught Simone and got her safely to the ground. Simone was completely unconscious for 30 seconds before Tally could rouse her. Then, remarkably, Simone awoke, got up, and started running again.
Over the next 18 miles, Simone had 19 more seizures, each time collapsing and losing consciousness for 30 seconds or more. Each time, Tally caught her, eased her to the ground, and protected her until she regained consciousness. And each time, Tally helped Simone up, and they continued. “By the time we got to 15 miles,” Simone said afterward, “I was in tears because I was so annoyed we had lost the pace. But by that stage I had already had lots of (seizures), and I was still standing, so I thought, stuff it, I’m just going to finish it.”
Simone and Tally crossed the finish line in 6½ hours. Considering the day, it was a time even the Kenyans would be proud of.
We are all like Simone in that, with our weaknesses and frailties, we need the support of an encouraging community that will “run beside us” during the marathon of life. By the way, the Greek word for “encourage” comes from the same root as the word for Holy Spirit. That word is “para kaleo” and it means “called alongside to help.” This means we are never more Christlike than when we, full of compassion, come alongside a fellow “runner” and encourage him or her.
© 2012 Mark Adams
More than ever, during this glorious season of rejoicing … Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:16)
Marlin
