The Fruit of Service is Peace

                            The fruit of silence is PRAYER.
                            The fruit of prayer is FAITH
                            The fruit of faith is LOVE.
                            The fruit of love is SERVICE.
                            The fruit of service is PEACE.

      This article shares the final bit of wisdom I have learned as I have journeyed with Mother Teresa in her book, A Simple Path. How appropriate that we should end with the subject of peace, as we have just celebrated the resurrection of our Lord at Easter services across the world. 
      Mother Teresa said that works of love are always works of peace. She believed that inner peace comes as we seek to help those who are hurting physically because our efforts of love lead to a spiritual healing as well. The kind of peace that comes from spiritual healing affects both the healed and the healer. 
      Are you at peace these days? Peace with self? others? God? Peace, the kind that comes from Jesus and not the world, begins with prayer. In your conversations with God, ask for faith: faith to love as Christ loved. That kind of love will move you to think beyond yourself – to reach out in service to others. Once we begin to live the life of a servant, as our Lord did, then we find peace – with self…with others…with God. 
      I end as I began several months ago – with a poem posted on a wall in one of the children’s homes in Calcutta.           
                        ANYWAY
        People are unreasonable, illogical, and self centered, love them anyway.
        If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives,
             do good anyway.
        If you are successful, you win false friends and true enemies,
             succeed anyway.
        The good you do will be forgotten tomorrow, do good anyway.
        Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable, be honest and frank anyway.
        What you spent years building may be destroyed overnight, build anyway.
        People really need help, but may attached you if you help them,
             help people anyway.
        Give the world the best you have and you’ll get kicked in the teeth.
        Give the world the best you’ve got anyway.
        The best we have comes from God.

May the love of God enfold you, the peace of Christ surround you
and the presence of the Holy Spirit be in you.
Rev. Sherry Holloman, Associate Pastor

March 2005