Clothesline - Edition 210

By Rev. Elizabeth L. Nelson, Pastor

July 24, 2024  

Jesus himself came near…

        but their eyes were kept from recognizing him.

 Luke 24:15-16

This week I lost a very special person. Fr. Christopher Davis was a Benedictine monk at my home church. I was twelve years old. I recognized something in him the first time we met, but it took years before I knew what it was. I used to say to myself, “I don’t know what he has but I want it!” He counseled me as a youth and even after two marriages. He never had a negative word to say when I was divorced. He wished me well when I became an Episcopalian, remarried and entered seminary. He even obtained permission to read the Gospel at my ordination service. He went home to the Lord at age 94.

The last time I saw him, I’m now sure if he knew who I was, but his countenance hadn’t changed. I had learned what he had, and it filled my heart, then and now. I thought about how his faith had made such a profound effect on me and how I set my sights on the journey that led me to a faith in Jesus that I didn’t even know existed.

Now, enough about me. What about you? Is there someone in your life like that? Maybe a parent, a grandparent, a co-worker, a friend? And does that person exude Jesus, inspiring you to become the person you are today? If that’s true, what have you done with that blessing? Does your countenance, in turn, show the presence of the Holy Spirit to others?

Long before I came across my Sunday blessing…May everyone you meet see the face of the Lord Jesus in you… I had seen it at the age of twelve, but I didn’t know it or understand it until many years later. But for the disciples walking to Emmaus? It didn’t take that long…

Two disciples, leaving Jerusalem after Jesus’ death, sad and lost. The unrecognizable Jesus comes alongside them, but their hearts are blocked by the events of the previous few days. They didn’t recognize him. They forgot to look for heavenly things. They forgot that God is always present. When they finally recognize Jesus, they acknowledge to each other that something indeed did stir in their hearts, but they were afraid to acknowledge it.

As a Christian, you are filled with that same Holy Spirit. And so are your fellow Christians. What a wonderful world it would be if each of us freely showed that Spirit within, if those around us could see the presence of God in us. Let’s make that happen!

                                  Draw near to God,

                          and He will draw near to you.

                                          James 4:8