Dust

It was a beautiful spring day in Brussels today. Sunshine. Blue Skies. Green Trees.

It was also "Serve the City" day...a day for folks to come together to participate in various compassion projects throughout the city. I enjoyed serving with some really cool people; but was also sobered by some very real felt-needs in Brussels. For example, I spent a little time talking to several refugees from Africa trying to help them create resumes...and knowing what it was like for me to go through the Belgian immigration system, well, these women have a level of courage that is a mystery to me. We also spent a little time sweeping the sidewalks of local businesses. Yep, good old broom and dust pan...and in the end, stirred up some clouds of dust and made some shopkeepers' days.
It reminded me of the story author/teacher Rob Bell tells:

"One of the Sages from the Mishna is quoted as this, "May you be covered in the dust of your Rabbi." Rabbis are passionate and animated. They would spend their days taking their disciples around teaching them, and as they traveled from place to place, they would literally kick up a cloud of dust. And because the disciples were following the Rabbi, at the end of the day, they would actually be covered in the dust their Rabbi kicked up - May you be covered in the dust of your Rabbi…"

I hope the dust of my teacher, Jesus, was covering me today; drawing me to Him and teaching me more about His heart of love and compassion for the people in our midst who are in need...which could be each of us on any given day.

The Jesus Creed

Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this:

Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.