PICKING UP STONES

PICKING UP STONES


Again=today=Jesus=in John=
TESTIFIES that he Is the
SON OF GOD


The Jewish people become
So ENRAGED=they want
To STONE HIM=but he
Slips away


“The JEWS answered him=
'We are NOT stoning you
For a good work
But for blasphemy


You a man
Are MAKING yourself God'” John 10:33


And how about US=when
We come up against=
Someone with a different POINT
OF VIEW than us


Are we ready? To be
PICKING UP STONES
In an argument


Are we really listening
To GAIN a different
Perspective=to HEAR a
Different point of view?


Or are we picking up STONES
To argue?


Dear Lord=HELP US to listen to Jesus
And his words=and help us
To LISTEN to OTHERS
With our FULL ATTENTION


“Listen to my WORDS=Lord=
Consider my lament” Psalm 5:1


“The way of fools
Seems right to them


But the WISE
LISTEN TO ADVICE” Proverbs 12:15


“Then a cloud APPEARED
And a voice
CAME from the cloud


'This is MY SON
Whom I LOVE


LISTEN to him'” Mark 9:7


The PEOPLE picked up STONES
To try and KILL Jesus


But MANY of us
Pick up stones with our WORDS=
And our attempts to GOSSIP=
Slander=or lie about
ANOTHER human being


PICKING UP STONES


And the religious leaders
CONCLUDE that Jesus is
“ONLY A MAN”


That wasn't the truth
He was GOD


Let us NOT LIMIT
One another by using
The word=”ONLY”


“Only a kid”
“Only a person”
“Only a woman”


Let us NEVER pick up stones
To INSULT another human being


And let us all REMEMBER
That no matter who we are
WE CAN make a difference
In this world


If we are acting
In CONJUNCTION
With the WORD OF GOD


Let us be
CONFIDENT in God


“I remain CONFIDENT of this
I will see
The GOODNESS of the Lord


In the land
Of the LIVING” Psalm 27:13


Dear Lord=THIS LENT=
Help us to put down
OUR STONES
And LISTEN


Help us to TREAT all people
And God with respect and REVERENCE


In Jesus' name and the name
Of the Lord GOD ABOVE


Robert P. Wallman
3-22-18




Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Sr. Melannie Svoboda, S.N.D.