I Believe You.

Believe

If you find yourself overwhelmed today, if you are tempted to despair because of the circumstances of your life or the state of the world, lift up your eyes and fix them on God. Trust in the goodness and mercy of God. Strengthen your resolve to oppose violence in all its forms, to conserve and protect the earth, to toil and sweat for justice, to pray and work for peace. Do not fear; only believe.

-Br. David Vryhof Society of Saint John the Evangelist

When I receive the bread and the wine at the Eucharist, and the priest and lay minister say "The Body of Christ, the Blood of Christ," I always say Amen. "So be it," I imply, affirming their words and claiming Jesus's sacrifice as a catalyst for my life.

Sunday at the altar I heard the man next to me say, "I believe you," in response to the bread and the wine. It was beautiful, and it struck me as an even stronger response to the sacrifice.

The words above from Brother David remind me that Believing must be stated and claimed. "Do not fear; only believe."

Amen.