Dad only worked at the brothel for about a week.
There was in my hometown what was then called “a house of ill repute.” I could write a lot about that place and the fact that even children knew about it. But not this time.
This is how Dad came to work at our everybody-knows-about-it brothel. Dad worked for his cousin, Norman, as a “brick and tile man” or “Brickie.” 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 the crew could afford to turn down a paying job, Dad included. So, every day, for about a week, he worked on that patio and walkway—brick...by brick...by brick.
Nothing says 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. 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 the answer is “yes,” then we did what we could.
Most of us know 1 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 1 Corinthians. While the Corinthians passage gives us the broad strokes about love, Romans is definitely the day-to-day, nuts and bolts, brick-by-brick approach.
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, not keeping a record of wrongs, not delighting in evil, rejoicing in the truth, always trusting, always hoping, and always persevering.
The thought of trying to accomplish that list 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 goal is loving. Sometimes, like Dad, you need to do the nuts-and-bolts version, to be practical.
It’s that way in the actual practice of loving. Those lofty goals in 1 Corinthians 13 need practical, brick-by-brick, steps. Read the very practical actions listed at Romans 12:9-21. Then, just like a Brickie laying one brick and then another, do them.
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PHOTO: Steve Orr
BONUS MATERIAL
THE OTHER LOVE CHAPTER
“Your love must be real. Hate what is evil. Hold on to what is good. Love each other like brothers and sisters. Give your brothers and sisters more honor than you want for yourselves. Do not be lazy but work hard. Serve the Lord with all your heart. Be joyful because you have hope. Be patient when trouble comes. Pray at all times. Share with God’s people who need help. Bring strangers in need into your homes. Wish good for those who do bad things to you. Wish them well and do not curse them. Be happy with those who are happy. Be sad with those who are sad. Live together in peace with each other. Do not be proud, but make friends with those who seem unimportant. Do not think how smart you are. If someone does wrong to you, do not pay him back by doing wrong to him. Try to do what everyone thinks is right. Do your best to live in peace with everyone. My friends, do not try to punish others when they wrong you. Wait for God to punish them with his anger. It is written: “I am the One who punishes; I will pay people back,” says the Lord. But you should do this: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if your enemy is thirsty, give him a drink. Doing this will be like pouring burning coals on his head. Do not let evil defeat you. Defeat evil by doing good.” —Romans 12:9-21 ICB
In Romans 12:17-21, Paul is quoting Proverbs 25:21-22: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him a drink. Doing this will be like pouring burning coals on his head. And the Lord will reward you.”
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DaySpring’s Lectionary Breakfast meets Friday mornings in the function room at Our Breakfast Place. We still start at 8:00 and spend an hour eating, reading, talking, praying, and laughing.
Blessings,
Steve
SCRIPTURES FOR SUNDAY AND THE COMING WEEK
Find them here:
https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/texts.php?id=157
Print them from here:
https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/pdf//Ax_Proper17.pdf
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
Proper 17 (22) (September 3, 2023)
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