Both my husband and I have our fortieth-class reunions this weekend. Mine is tomorrow night and his is Saturday night. We started dating in high school, but went to rival high schools in the same county. Our Junior year, our proms fell the same way, mine on Friday night and his on Saturday. Our senior year, they were both the same night and we split the time between the two. It is hard to believe that was forty years ago. Where did the time go, how did we get so old? What have we learned since high school? What have we really accomplished? Once the small talk is over, what will we really talk about? I am sure everyone will talk about what they have done, where they have been, children and grandchildren.
Many of our classmates will not make it to the reunions, some because of conflict, but several because of death. It reminds me that every time we meet together as a class, our potential number of attendees decreases. Not to be morose, but if this may be our last opportunity for a conversation, what should that conversation be about? While conversations about our life, accomplishments and family is important and validates that we have been here and shared this space, I pray that there will also be opportunities for conversations that can touch eternity.
Moses gives us a great example of what our conversations should be like in Deuteronomy 6 in what is referred to by the Jewish communities as the Shema. It is one of two commanded prayers in the Old Testament. It was commanded to be prayed morning and night. The other was “grace” to be said after meals.
Consider this passage:
Deuteronomy 6
“4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates.”
In the Hebrew tradition, to “hear” also meant to obey. Moses wasn’t challenging the people to hear for knowledge, he was challenging them to hear for action! “To love the Lord your God with all you heart, soul and all your strength” was how Jesus responded when he was asked what was the greatest commandment. But it is not enough just to do it, we are also commanded to “impress them on your children” and to “talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie own and when you get up”, and when you go to your high school class reunions! I think the point Moses was trying to make is the “HE” should be part of every conversation for HIS people. And if it is who we are it should be natural. Luke 6: “For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks”.
God, you have blessed me with abundance, let my praise of you flow from mouth as I talk with my children, as I rise up, as I lie down, if I am sitting at home or at the gate and even at High School Reunions!
Shirley Chupp
Lean into Jesus Ministries
#shirleychuppblogs
