Pastors Pen

November 20, 2011

“Tell me whom you love and I will tell you who you are.”

This quote comes from Max Lucado’s book And the Angels Were Silent.  It came soon after this story.

John Blanchard was a man who served in the Army during the second world  war.  Shortly before a deployment to Europe he checked a book out of a local library. He was intrigued by not only the book but by the softy written and insightful notes penciled in the margins.  The front of the book had the name of its previous owner, Miss Hollis Maynell.  He made a point to locate her.  She lived in another state, but still he got the mailing address and began to correspond with her.  For a full year and a half they corresponded while she was at home and he was in Europe in the military.  While they had never seen each other, their hearts touched each other.  He asked her to send a picture.  She refused.  She wrote that if he really cared for her, it didn’t matter what she looked like.

Finally the day came when they would meet.  He was back home, and at the airport where she was due to arrive.  He was to know who she was by the red rose she would be wearing in her lapel.  As the passengers left the plane he noticed a young and beautiful woman who was alone, but she had no rose in her lapel.  Then he saw the rose.  It was in the lapel of a woman well over the age of 40.  She was more than plumb but she had a face that was gentle and sensible.  He thought of the ironic nature of his situation.  The one woman was beautiful to the eyes. But the rose was to be the marker for the woman whose spirit was beautiful.  He was disappointed that this would not be the romance he had hoped for but it could be a special friendship.  He stepped forward and introduced himself and asked her to dinner.

The woman smiled, “Young man, I do not know what this is about, but that young woman who got off the plane ahead of me begged me to wear this rose on my coat.  She said that if you were to ask me out to dinner, I should let you know that she is waiting for you in the big restaurant across the street.  She said it was some kind of test.

Hollis Maynell had an interesting test of character for her pen pal and future husband. 

The scene described at the end of  Matthew 25 is far different, yet similar.  Jesus taught there about His final coming and judgment.  On that day he will separate the sheep from the goats. While salvation can be found only through faith in what He has done for us, a living faith is seen by what is professed with our mouths and by how we live our lives.  As the apostle John writes, how can we say we love the God whom we have not seen, while we fail to love the people we have seen. (1 John 4:20) As Jesus will say to those who cared for the forgotten, those in need, and the hurting, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me. (Matthew 25:40)

I am not familiar with the author from whom Max Lucado got the quote, “Tell me whom you love and I will tell you who you are.” But I know it was Jesus who  said, “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:35)

As we express thanks to God during a national holiday, look forward to the beginning of Advent, and anticipate the final day, may each day has something in common.  May we respond to our God who loves us calls us with love for Him.  May our love for Him open our eyes to how He wants us to love one another.