Saturday, March 8, 2025
We must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing. Therefore we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith during all your persecutions and the afflictions that you are enduring. ~ 2 Thessalonians 1:3-4
Written by Tom Fitch | Pinnacle Member
To be steadfast in our faith during difficult and trying times can be hard, to be loving during a time of persecution and enduring afflictions even harder. When I was sent these verses to consider for our Lenten devotional this year, I immediately thought of an article that was
published in, of all places, the New England Journal of Medicine. Dr. Teva Brender, a resident in Critical Care Medicine, tells the story of ‘The Man Who Lives in the Cardboard Box.’ Dr. Brender saw him frequently as she walked her dog in the park across from her apartment. She did not know his name. One cold misty early morning in October as Dr. Brender looked out her apartment window into the park, she saw a young woman dancing in the park. Her movements and behavior were unsettling. And, she was completely naked. As Dr. Brender watched, she became fearful for the young woman. She called 911. She patted herself on the back for not being a do-nothing bystander. As she continued to watch through the window, she saw that the man who lived in the cardboard box was walking toward the dancing woman, who was now lying in the damp grass. Dr. Brender was initially terrified. But, she then noticed that the man was carrying a sweatshirt and a pair of faded gray sweatpants. Her stomach twisted into a knot. Dr. Brender continued to watch as the man who lived in a cardboard box gently and tenderly dressed the young woman. Dr. Brender thought, the man who lived in the cardboard box almost literally gave the dancing woman the clothes off his back, why didn’t she? Which triggered a different and arguably more difficult question for Dr. Brender: Why didn’t she know the name of the man who lived in the cardboard box? Those persecuted and living with afflictions lie hidden before us in plain sight. May we be steadfast in our faith and may our love for ALL our neighbors continue to grow.
Peace and Grace.
Prayer: Lord, fill us with your grace and peace that we might offer it to others, always. Amen.