The Bricklayer (a Lectionary reflection by Steve Orr)

Recently, I recounted an oft told story about two men working with bricks. One was surly and perceived his work as only laying bricks. The other was joyful and perceived his work as building a cathedral. The story is often told as a way to illustrate that a positive attitude toward work can do wonders. We come away from the story thinking better of the "Cathedral man" than of the man who is simply laying brick. The story is designed to have that effect, to convey the idea that the surly bricklayer is missing something very important.

There is an another important point, however, that I never hear anyone state: the QUALITY of the surly man's work is never questioned. In fact, based on what we know, attitudes aside, when the two men finish their work, there will be a cathedral where once there was none.

There is nothing to say that we must always be happy, whistle while we work, or sing, "Hi ho, hi ho; it's off to work we go" every morning. Sometimes, maybe often, we just aren't in the mood for all that. Who knows, maybe the surly bricklayer was just having a bad day. All other factors aside, what matters in the final evaluation is the answer to this question: did each do his job correctly? If the answer is "yes," then, the cathedral gets built.

That brings me to this week's passage from Romans. People sometimes refer to this as the OTHER Love Passage, sort of lumping it with 1st Corinthians 13. But, these two passages could hardly be more different. The Corinthian passage is definitely the "Cathedral" perspective on love, while the Romans passage is, without doubt, the brick-by-brick approach. Corinthians provides us with the broad strokes about love, while Romans gives us the day-to-day nuts & bolts we need to put it into practice.

Perhaps you have wondered exactly HOW love is patient, is kind, does not envy, does not boast, is not proud, does not dishonor others, is not self-seeking, is not easily angered, keeps no record of wrongs, does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth, always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. The next time it crosses your mind to wonder about the PRACTICE of loving, jump over to Romans 12:9-21.

Then, you just DO IT, one brick at a time.

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http://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu

READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK
Proper 17 (22) (August 31 through September 6, 2014)

Exodus 3:1-15
Psalm 105:1-6, 23-26, 45b
Jeremiah 15:15-21
Psalm 26:1-8
Romans 12:9-21
Matthew 16:21-28

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Don't miss this opportunity to "discuss the sermon in advance" (so to speak) at Lectionary Breakfast. As usual, we will gather Friday morning at the Waco "Egg and I" restaurant at 8:00 for food, fellowship, and thrashing about in the Bible.

It's not holy ground; so, please, keep your shoes on. :-)

Enjoy the week!
Steve


Stephen C. Orr
Sent from my iPhone