The verse now open for our consideration is one we seldom hear sermonized, perhaps because the language is obscure. In the King James version it reads:

Provide things honest in the sight of all men. (KJV)

Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. (NKJV)

Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. (TLB)

         Let’s try to discover what this means in “daily speak” . . . what it means to us in Cor Unum. An illustration might help.

         When a child spends the night with a friend, and the hosting parents put a horror movie on and make popcorn and invite the children in to watch with them, the “Romans 12:17” child might have to say, “I’m not allowed to watch ‘Nightmare on Elm Street.’” Don’t you wish this were a purely hypothetical illustration?

         In the sight of our own children, when we see a $20.00 bill lying on the lawn in front of our neighbor’s house, we go to the door and inquire. Of course we know beforehand that they may say, “Yes, I did lose some money? How much did you find?” but that is no concern of ours.  It is always possible that honorable people live inside! Some parents will leave the money where it was found, with children saying, “But someone else is going to pick it up!” and right they may be, but what concern is that to us? “The money isn’t ours,” says the father.

         How many opportunities might we find this very day in Cor Unum to do things in such a way that everyone knows we are honorable?

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         “Do not repay anyone evil for evil” is today’s word from the twelfth chapter of Romans.

         We never would! From our mothers’ knee we were taught better.

         Mother did not always tell us that a little bitterness, a little rejection, a little slander is coin in that dark and dangerous realm where payback is power.

         There is . . . not to argue with Mother! . . . there is a repayment for evil that Scripture promotes. It is engraved over the doors of many hearts . . . we repay evil with good! (Thessalonians 5:15)

         When our enemies are hungry or thirsty, we feed them, and give them something to drink. (Psalm 25:21.) It’s “house rules,” here in Cor Unum.

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         In all the “nun” books that make their way into the Abbey, “nun” have been found to indicate that a new postulants usually take to the devoted life like a duck to water.

This makes quite good sense, really. If one enters the monastery in order to grow nearer to the Lord, to develop a style of life beyond the everyday, this is an indication that some lack or distance has been evidenced!  If one enters in order to find Christlikeness in community, the fullness of Christlikeness must not yet have been attained. The same is true for us if a life of undiluted worship and prayer is the vision; we don’t press in to have what we have already obtained.

We in Cor Unum aspire to unbroken fellowship with God and “perfect” love both in heaven and on earth. “Be thou perfect, even as my Father in heaven is perfect!” is worth the climb, but it is a climb!

We are not wise in our own conceits when we live lives of pressing on!   The very trudge up the hill is an ever-present reminder that we are not arrived, but here in the Abbey we guard against the old adages that say we will never make it.

Let us never, let us not ever, boast the hill! Rather, we sing with the saints of old, of the ages, really, “We’re marching to Zion . . . beautiful, beautiful Zion! We’re marching upward to Zion, the beautiful City of God.”   What is attainable, we will have in the name of the Lord our King.

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         Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. (Romans 12:16.)

         Here we are, still exercising the privilege of judging ourselves, so that we will not come into judgment. We are heeding the admonishment to:

Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you – unless, of course, you fail the test? (Francis Frangipane suggests paying special heed to the parts of the Gospels that we HAVE NOT underlined, the parts we have either ignored or not particularly … liked! This could be one of those!)

         In the Abbey, the nuns would say, “We ARE the people of low position!” The difficulty in this sometimes convoluted world, is balancing self-respect and proper self image with the truth of humility.

         The truth of humility for us in Cor Unum is this: our own beloved Father sits, even now and eternally, upon a throne of brilliance and glory that can only be described with word pictures : “like” gemstones and rainbows, heavenly acclaim “like” the rushing of mighty waters . . . words failed the chronicler of heaven. Nevertheless, he found humility in life.

         The apostle “whom Jesus loved” was secure in life and comforted in exile. His face had leant upon Jesus’ chest; the mother of his Lord had become his mother; he had run to see the empty tomb. John was to be cut off from the other apostles, lowness was his destiny, but he, like Paul, saw things that the eyes of men are not privileged to gaze upon. How is it that pride never overtook either of these brothers?

         Simply, it was because of the one surpassing knowledge that they both possessed.

         They knew they were loved.

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A group of young people once visited the Abbey, a vocal group of thirty or so voices. They had been trained to the point of musical exquisite-ness, and the concert they gave was unforgettable.

When they sang of the rain, the nuns could hear the first little drops falling on the roof and then the crescendo of the storm. When they sang of the sunset, their voices sank over the horizon and darkness could be “heard.” Their happy songs made the heart rejoice, and their songs of trial and oppression were deeply moving.

All of this was resultant of harmony and control. One voice could sing one note in the midst of a swelling of chorus, and it would be heard as it was meant to be, soft and sweet, or clear and ringing, like a bell.

An unforgettable experience.

So will be the effect of the church in every nation when she begins to practice that kind of harmony.   These young people were intent upon their director like no musical ensemble ever before observed. They had to be. Music is fluid, and voices and timing are never exact. Their performance, however, was the epitome of precision, because they watched and exactly obeyed their director, and they listened to one another, that every individual voice would be perfectly harmonized with the others, perfectly modulated, whether in concert with all the others or rising above or sinking below.

Yes, sometimes certain voices sang soft songs below the other voices, taking a humble stanza; that was perhaps, the most unique and exhilarating sound of all.

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In a world troubled with conflicting perspectives and peopled with those who live “conflicted” in their souls, here is a terrific NEW perspective!

Romans 12:15 tells us . . . Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.   That sounds good . . . it sounds right!

How concise! How pragmatic! How life-changing! How . . . irritating!

What we like to do, before we arrive in the Abbey, is to mourn when we want to and rejoice when we feel like it, but once inside, both mourning and rejoicing must give way to the Divine Office, to the worship and prayer of each day.

We can bring ourselves to mourn a little or a lot, but not always WITH others, entering into their grief, when we are — “good grief!” – up to our own eyeballs in our own little sorrows, transgressions, failures and, well, need for attention! It’s just about the same with shared joy. In practice, while Romans 12:15 will read our mail, it is also the check that’s in the mail, the discovery of what it is to comfort others with the comfort with which we’ve been comforted, to share their joys and sorrows and find that ours are important to those we love. In community, in family, we mustn’t let others sorrow or rejoice alone, for our God is with us in every dark and troubled place, and it pleases Him to bring us into many delights. As He is, so are we in this world; it is our inheritance and our glory.

And we can take THAT to the bank!

Sisters …. Abbey photo

A lady was invited to a church for a special conference and told the ministers there, “Don’t forget that there are those in your community praying every day that darkness will enfold the Christian community – that darkness will prevail and that Satan will begin to reign supreme where you live.” Her suggested remedy?

“Bless them!” From every corner of the sanctuary, she said, bless them. Pray down God’s chief-est blessings of mercy and grace and truth upon them. This is not to say that God’s people ought not seek protection and wisdom and the paramount precaution of Christlikeness, but as we live and walk in faith, she said, the key to overcoming evil is to bless those who have been taken captive by the devil to perpetrate it.  Sadly, we have sometimes feared them, just as the devil wants us to do.

There is evidence in Scripture that the nearness of God throws the enemy into confusion. King Saul was a MESS when David was around, until David played upon his harp and soothed Saul’s heart until the next time his spiritual captors took over. Demons would scream out in terror when they saw Jesus down the road, heading in their direction. To live in Christ, to know Him, to abide in Him, indicates that we may encounter some devilish disasters and designs, but ours is to bless instead of curse those that have been troubled, robbed, tormented, even when they only seem to be ornery.   To this day, when we love our enemies and pray for those that despitefully use us, devils don’t get it!

When we bless others, our blessing doesn’t fall on evil spirits but to undo them, while it begins to make a difference in the lives of those that have been plundered by them.  Grace, truth, mercy, the riches of the Lord’s lovingkindness – oh how mighty these are to deliver when we seek to bless those around us!  Let’s remember, too that it is the goodness of God that leads men to repentance!

In times of serious oppression, depression, spiritual confusion, or persecution, worship and gratitude and blessing will save the day. Remember Paul and Silas is the jail?   They rejoiced, for they knew God would not fail! (Thank you, Dennis Jernigan!) Here in the Abbey, if the Accuser of the Brethren makes an appearance in our lovely sanctuary, we tell him that we are going to worship, and that if he wishes to stay he must join in. What do you suppose happens?

Devils are meant for the abyss . . . all others may yet find mercy and grace, if we would ask our Father to bring them into the mercy and grace which we have received. Bless them with it, whether they have cut you off in traffic or at the grocery store, whether they sit in seats of political honor or have slashed your tires overnight. Wayward children, ferocious adults, and those who beguile others through witchcraft and every kind of evil temptation.  They’re just in darkness, that’s all. You are light in the Lord, although you were once darkness, too; walk as children of light, my dear ones.  Yours is the almighty power to bless, and curse not.

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light, (Ephesians 5:8)

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         Just when we were happily donating and helping out and giving wherever we could, “contributing to the needs of the saints” . . . with almost dizzying speed, we find the following passage:

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.

         Another lofty concept, certainly. Yes! Let’s do that . . . let’s be generous and let’s bless . . . those that . . . what?!

         Dear Sisters . . . Brothers, too . . . when was the last time you BLESSED someone who cursed you? We are certain, here in Cor Unum, that it was the last time you were cursed!

         HAVE YOU . . . been “cussed out” lately? Royally smoked! With “language”? Suffered the “road rage” of an out-of-control motorist … or maybe someone closer to home?

         There is no doubt that when really cursed, those of us in Cor Unum would really step up and forgive. Many would call to mind the truth of Scripture that, the causeless curse does not alight. (Proverbs 26:2) We would pull ourselves up by our most holy bootstraps, remember whose kids we are, and we would walk on.

         That, dear ones, is protective, but it is not a substitution for the kind of warfare to which we are called. We will look again tomorrow at what sorts of “cursing” we might be enduring, unaware, and how we can respond in great power.

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The mountains were quaking and the lightening was flashing up, up into the heavens when the King’s spokesman presented himself before the King, to make his unattainable request.   Bowing down before the King he said,

“If now I have found favor in Your sight, O King, I pray, let the King go along in our midst, even though the people are so timid, and more than a little obstinate, and sometimes even . . . very ill-behaved . . . and take us, O mighty King, as Your own possession.”

The mountains roared and the skies quaked and the clouds split at his words!

And . . . behold! . . . instead of banishing the spokesman from His presence forever . . . the King gave answer . . . and the King said . . .

                  “Behold, I am going to make a covenant. I am going to do before this people things that have never been seen in all the earth. It is a fearful thing that I am about to do . . . I am about to drive this people’s enemies away from them, forever . . .”

                  The King told His spokesman to say to the people:

                  Gather from among you an offering. From every willing-hearted man and woman, receive on the King’s behalf what everyone is willing to give.

                  Now – the people of the land had wonderful treasure which they had acquired when the King had delivered them from a terrible tyrant in a land of pyramids and black magic . . . but . . . that, my dear readers . . . is another story.

“Come,” said the King’s spokesman, “all of the skilled ones among you, come and bring and make everything that the King requires . . . that the King might be more near to us than all His Presence on the smoking mountain.”

You will recall that the King had never asked anything of the people, except that they would not follow after the dangerous beckoning specters which lived round about. It is nevertheless true that when a King is glorious and majestic and generous and good, it gives great honor to His people to bring gifts before Him. Real gifts . . . not the slave labor variety or the kind you bring because you know it will be “Off with your head!” if you don’t.

So everyone in the community left the presence of the spokesman     . . .     and then . . .

. . . they came again! . . . every one whose heart was roused, whose spirit was freely responsive, all the willing-hearted among them came, bringing their gold jewelry to the King.   And blue, purple, and scarlet fabrics; fine linen . . . Everyone who wanted to offer up silver or bronze as a gift to the King brought it. Whatever they had that could be used in the work, the willing-hearted people brought it. All the women skilled at weaving brought their weavings of blue and purple and scarlet fabrics and their fine linens. And all the women who were gifted in spinning began to spin.

What a time, what a season!, it was! Willing-hearted people working and bringing, bringing and working continually . . . enjoying their King’s Day to the fullest and refreshing themselves to bring more and more . . . preparing a dwelling place that their good and glorious and kingly King might come and dwell in their midst.

                  . . . and the people brought and brought and worked and served with generous hearts . . . and they did not seem so rag-tag anymore. Already Majesty was cloaking and clothing them, and they brought still more, everyone whose heart was stirred in him came to the work   . . .

. . . until one day, the wise men of the work went to the King’s spokesman and said,

                  “Sir, the people bring much more than enough for the service of the work which our good King commanded.”

                  And the spokesman gave command, saying . . .

“Let neither man nor woman bring more! It is sufficient for the work . . . indeed, it is too much!” So the people were restrained from bringing.

And with wisdom the building was completed, and the dwelling place for the King was made ready.

                  And in that place crafted of generosity, the King was pleased to dwell, and the wisest among His people began to see and to know that the King must be glorious, because He is, and though He must be feared, yet He reigned in love and ever would. The wisest among those that were wise began to remark that all their riches, brought to their good King and lavished upon Him, had made them the richest people on the earth, a Chosen People.

                  And over the gates to every city wherein live the descendents of the Willing-Hearted, the words of the King are engraved, which read . . .

ASSUREDLY I SAY TO YOU, INASMUCH AS YOU BRING AND PREPARE AND DO UNTO THE LEAST OF THESE MY BRETHREN, YOU HAVE DONE IT UNTO ME!

                  For those who will not lose, who will not surrender their first love, their golden love for the King, will ever love others. The joy of generosity will be given to them all their days, for those who love do not withhold love, and the Great and Glorious King marks those who love, to return blessing and fulness to them beyond measure.

Pomegranate blossom, by permission, Wikipedia

Uwe Bargaan