Seeing with the Eyes of Christ

Beth and I are about to leave for a trip to Scotland. It will be a 10-day bus tour. This is very exciting for many reasons because the only other international travel I have done is to The Holy Land.  The reason for our interest in such a country is because my origin is mostly Scottish/Canadian and during covid Beth and I got hooked on a BBC Scotland show called “This Farming Life.” It is a show that features real life on Scottish farms. Needless to say, we fell in love with the scenery and are attracted to the people.

I’m expecting to see much of the same on this trip and it puts a smile on my face. It will be exciting to see another aspect of God’s creation realizing in a small way the vastness of it all.

Which gets me to the title of this short reflection. I believe the best way to see God’s creation is with a smile on my face. To smile at the people to make eye contact. To smile at what nature has instore and to drink it in (not the scotch, as I have been sober since 1988.)

During my message at the Back to School Worship I suggested that a good way to start building community is with a smile plus eye contact. In doing so we create a relationship with those around us not with words but rather with a simple presence. A presence that embraces the understanding that we are not alone in this world.

The other day someone asked me “how can we build the church at St. John?” It is important to understand that each one of us is that very church.  We can be the invitation to our community of peace. It starts, I believe, with a smile to everyone we see. Within and behind that smile must be the awareness of the sacred value of each person we see. And when our eyes meet with the other, we will see the face of Christ smiling back with us.

This type of exchange is The Peace in action and by its nature an act of ministry. It is a fundamental demonstration of the love that is explained in “The Good Samaritan.” It reminds me of some lyrics from Paul Simon, “slow down you move too fast, you got to make the morning last, kicking down the cobble stones, looking for fun and feeling groovy.”

Over the next several days Beth and I will be kicking down the cobble stones looking for fun and feeling groovy. May you do the same right here at home, inviting people into our community with a simple nod and smile.

Peace,

Pastor Mark