Our common language of love

When love speaks, it doesn't always require words to get the message across.

We met on the street, where he worked as a cobbler. I urgently needed my shoes repaired while I was on a strenuous journey in his land. I couldn't speak his language, nor he mine, but seeing what needed to be done, he quickly put down what he was working on. Someone else offered me a seat on a tiny stool. The work commenced immediately. Both grinned with pleasure as the cobbler performed his service for a stranger. Within minutes the street was filled with onlookers—adults and children alike—all smiling. The transaction took only minutes; not a word was exchanged between us, yet our common language of love bound us together in brotherhood. His helpfulness was mirrored by my gratitude. I still proudly show off his workmanship on my shoes!

I thought of a verse in the Old Testament: "Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us?" Mal. 2:10. How alive this message became for me as I glimpsed the brotherhood that crosses barriers of race, color, creed, culture, to glorify our one Father-Mother God, who knows each of His children as His spiritual idea, perfect, wholly good, upright, free.

When we are communicating with the language of love, we can indeed expect to be understood. But that scene on the street corner was more than just people getting together and doing good. I felt that the Christ was touching the very depth of our individual consciousness, impelling us to live such God-derived qualities as kindness, consideration, courtesy, gentleness, trustworthiness, and hospitality. These qualities give evidence of the real man we are—spiritually made in God's own image and likeness.

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Poem
WAKE!
December 28, 1987
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