Words are not all of my life
Read 2 Corinthians 4:18
We look not at the things which are seen but at the things which
are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the
things which are not seen are eternal.
My family jokes that words are my life, and they’re not far off.
I’m a professional writer and editor, and I’ve written thousands
and thousands of words over a 44-year career and edited thousands and
thousands of words written by others. I have high regard for the way
words are used to share ideas and for the people who use them well.
That goes for church too. On Sunday mornings, hundreds and hundreds
of words wash over me. The ministers speak words. The liturgist
speaks words from the Bible, and I try to read along to ensure that I
grasp the message of those words. The choir sings words, and I listen
closely. All of us sing words and speak words. The words just
overwhelm me.
And then Doug plays the organ, and the words go away, and I am
grateful. I close my eyes, and my heart just listens. There is
nothing that I have to try to understand or figure out. I only need
to feel.
Without words, I’m on my own. I give myself up to the music as I
give myself up to faith, to believe in what I cannot see. I cannot
see the music, but I know it is there. I cannot see God, but I know
He is there. I cannot see love, but I feel it all around me. And in
those moments when my eyes are closed and Doug’s music drifts
across the sanctuary, I am at peace.
Joan Richardson
No comments:
Post a Comment