TUESDAY, January 27 Mark 6:11 [Jesus said], “If any place will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” How do you know when you are welcomed? During most of our missions in Brazil, the most we could hope for was the space—physical, temporal, and social—to do our work, or more precisely the work designated by the local community. But since we were not included in events outside our actual work, we often felt isolated and unwelcomed. Yet in each case, when the time came for us to leave, the outpouring of gratitude and love from the community said otherwise. Ana in Rio de Janeiro burst into tears whenever she encountered us during our final week. Cecília in Santa Rosa hugged us and said her program would never be the same without us. Too often we were quick to assume lack of welcome when our inclusion was actually expressed in a relaxed, rather no-big-deal manner. The lesson is that it is best to assume welcome—unless you are chased out, which did happen to us once. In that case, leave and shake the dust off your feet so the hurt does not infect the next venture. PRAY for the Diocese of Louisiana (Province IV, The Episcopal Church) Today the Church remembers John Chrysostom, Bishop of Constantinople, 407. Ps 45 * 47, 48; Isaiah 48:12-21; Galatians 1:18—2:10; Mark 6:1-13
Posted on: Tue, 27 Jan 2015 10:58:21 +0000
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