As I was doing some reading this week I came across the following excerpt from the book, The God Who Comes by Carlo Carretto. I wanted to share it with you all.
By way of encouragement, God tells us in scripture: “I will remove the stony heart from their bodies, and replace it with a natural heart…” (Ezekiel 11:19). But I’m still waiting, asking myself when and how this will happen.
In our community the other day there wasn’t much coffee.
Coffee does me good down here in the desert… it helps me… I am old.
I was worried about not having any, about spending a few hours feeling dull and weak, and so—without perceiving the evil I was doing— I went into the kitchen before the others and drank up all that was left.
Afterwards, having suffered all day and made my confession, I thought in shame of my selfishness, of the ease with which I had excluded my two brothers from those black, bitter remains.
It seems a tiny thing, yet in that cup of coffee, taken and not shared with my brothers, is the root of all the evil which disturbs us, the poison of all the arrogance which selfishness, riches, and power create.
The difference between me and Jesus is right here, in an affair that seems simple but isn’t at all; after a whole life time it is still there to make you think. Jesus would have left the coffee for his brothers; I excluded my brothers.
No, it isn’t easy to live with hearts like ours: let us confess it.
I couldn’t help but think of a night recently where the dog was scratching at the back door, wanting out in the middle of the night. I was awakened by her and could have easily gotten out of bed and let her out. Instead I tapped Justin on the shoulder for him to get up and let her out. I laid there and thought about the fact that he probably needs sleep just as much as I do. He is a teacher to 150 7th graders, coaches after school, takes online classes for a grad program, and cares so well for all of his girls (dog included). I was awakened and should have just gotten up and let the dog out to let Justin sleep.
I resonate with what Carretto wrote here about the fact that “it isn’t easy to live with hearts like ours.” I want to go one step further then Carretto and say that we can do better and we can draw closer to Christ and grow in him and not allow our “stony hearts” to control what we do. We are holiness people after all. We do confess that we are bent to selfish behavior, but we don’t stop there. We can move forward in holiness and desire to be more and more like Christ. So that, even in little things like sharing coffee or getting up to let the dog out we can be like Christ to others.
May it be so.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Cara
Contact:
(913) 631-5555
Shawnee Church of the Nazarene
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