Dad only worked at the brothel for about a week.
There was in my hometown what was called “a house of ill repute.” There’s a lot I could write about that place and the fact that even children knew about it. But not this time. This is about my Dad and the work he did there. After 10 years as a medical professional, some business reversals forced Dad to give up his dream of serving others that way. To bring in some needed income, he went to work for his cousin, Norman, as a “brick and tile man” or “Brickie.”
This is how Dad came to work at our everybody-knows-about-it brothel. Norman, a General Contractor, had agreed to make some repairs and updates to the building. Included was a new patio across the back of the house and a brick walkway to the back gate. Sure, what they were doing was far from building a cathedral. But no one on Norman’s crew could afford to turn down the job, Dad included. So, every day, for about a week, he worked on that patio and walkway ... brick ... by brick ... by brick.
There is nothing to say that we must always be happy about our job, whistle while we work, or sing out "Hi ho, hi ho; it's off to work we go." Sometimes, we just aren't in the mood for all that. Sometimes, the job is just a thing you need to do. It’s not always about building cathedrals. The real question, at the end of the day, is: did we do our work correctly and completely? If yes, then we did what we could.
Most of us know 1st Corinthians 13 as The Love Chapter. With this week's scripture from Romans, we get what some call the other Love chapter. It is, if you will, the brickies version as opposed to the cathedral version in 1st Corinthians. While the Corinthians version gives us the broad strokes about love, Romans is definitely the day-to-day, nuts and bolts, brick by brick approach to love.
Perhaps you've wondered exactly how love is patient, kind, not envious, not boastful, not proud, not dishonoring others, not self-seeking, not easily angered, keeping no record of wrongs, not delighting in evil, rejoicing in the truth, always trusting, always hoping, and always persevering.
It can seem pretty daunting when you see it all compact like that.
Sometimes all the lofty goals and wishes aren’t enough to get you where you need to be; not enough to ensure the actual work gets done. Even when the objective is loving. Sometimes, like Dad, you need to do the nuts and bolts version; you need to be practical.
The next time it crosses your mind to wonder about the practice of loving, the how of all those lofty goals in 1st Corinthians 13, turn back to Romans 12:9-21 and read the very practical actions listed there.
Then, just do those ... brick ... by brick ... by brick.
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PHOTO: Steve Orr
Quite different versions of this reflection appeared in September 2017 as Brick by Brick by Brick and in August 2014 as The Bricklayer.
Quite different versions of this reflection appeared in September 2017 as Brick by Brick by Brick and in August 2014 as The Bricklayer.
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READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK
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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Countdown to Lectionary Breakfast! DaySpring is aiming to resume LB on September 11th ... via Zoom. We’ve successfully conducted weekly Bible studies via Zoom and feel confident we can do the same with LB.
Keep us in your prayers,
Steve
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