You can never feel content to creep when you realize that you can soar.
"But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles." Isaiah 40:31
I very, very rarely talk politics. I have both Republicans and Democrats in my congregation and I don't feel like I'm called to shepherd people's political views, but instead their spiritual well-being. That being said, I have to be honest and say I laughed out loud the other day while watching a presidential candidate giving a speech. And not because of why you may think.
Donald Trump was giving a speech and quoted 2 Corinthians 3:17. The verse is an important one in the Bible and one that everyone should try to memorize. It says, "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom."
I didn't laugh because he used the verse, I laughed because instead of saying "Second Corinthians" he said, "Two Corinthians."
Apparently a lot of people took this to mean that he was being hypocritical in using the verse and social media and news outlets played clip after clip after clip of him quoting "Two Corinthians." All of it in a bad light and with mean spirits.
I didn't laugh because I thought it was a mistake or that he was being hypocritical. I laughed because in that one brief moment, I was reminded of two very important people in my own spiritual life.
When I was eight years old, I went to a church that only had three kids in Sunday School. One was five years old and the other was 13. We didn't much mind the age gaps because we had a real-life angel for a teacher. Mrs. Susie knew her Bible in and out. And she felt it important for her students to memorize scripture as well. Something, I might add, that has become a lost discipline.
Whenever she wanted us to turn to a scripture that had a number in it, she always said, "Please turn to One John." Or, "Open your Bibles to Two Thessalonians." With Mrs. Susie I first learned what it meant to have the love of Jesus and the importance of reading the Bible.
Fast forward a couple decades and now I'm in seminary. I've reached a point in my life in which I truly don't know if I want to give up my home and livelihood and go into the ministry and trust that my congregation will care for my family. I shared my reservations with one of the professors I was close to and together he helped me understand my call to ministry. One of the scriptures we shared was 2 Corinthians 4:1. It says, "Therefore, since it is by God's mercy that we are engaged in this ministry, we do not lose heart."
As a way of remembering the verse we came up with a mnemonic device. It was simply, "2-4-1." Or "24 -- 1." It signified that as pastors, we are God's ministers 24 hours a day. And we take life one day at a time because we never know what God may have us doing.
Ever since then, I've always thought of "Second Corinthians" as "Two Corinthians." So when I heard Mr. Trump say that I was immediately reminded of my blessed saint of a Sunday School teacher and my mantra for ministry.
And I laughed. Because I promise you, listening to a speech from any politician is the last place I expected to be reminded of God's influence in my life. And it felt good to remember Mrs. Susie's Bible drills and why I'm in the ministry.
If all it takes for people to read is mispronouncing a number then I have to boldly tell you, "Turn to 'One' Corinthians 15:57 and hear the Word of the Lord."
PASTOR TROY CONRAD IS MINISTER OF FARMINGTON UNITED METHODIST CHURCH. EMAIL: [email protected].
Religion on 01/27/2016