Saturday, October 16, 2010

Introductions



introduce- in-truh-doos
to present (a person) to another so as to make acquainted.
L intrōdūcere  to lead inside, equiv. to intrō-intro-  + dūcere  to lead
from Dictionary.com




It's a long life, baby,
when you reach out broken hands and feel
that there are no hands reaching back for you.
When the worlds gone crazy,
I make a cry of desperation
and hear my echo bouncing off cold walls.
All I know, is it's a long life baby.
Chorus- Mile Long Driveway
by Jeremy Current


A necessary part of being human means meeting other humans. Sometimes we introduce ourselves, sometimes we are introduced by others. This week I finished reading two books- My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok and What God Starts, God Completes by Michael Milton. Both were autobiographies, the one about an imagined person, the other real. Since childhood I have enjoyed reading biographies, especially autobiographies. Everyone has a story. It takes courage to share the story with others.


I will never meet Asher Lev, though I was introduced to the fictional character by my friend Amy AcNelis (a fellow bibliophile and extraordinary teacher of English). I did meet Michael Milton. My good friend Glen Robinson invited me to attend a dinner with him; a celebratory introduction to the Chancellor/CEO Elect of Reformed Theological Seminary, Dr. Michael Milton. When Dr. Milton introduced himself to me he gave me a bear hug. He exuded joy that cannot be faked. As I watched and listened that evening, the words of Jesus came to my mind, "Behold a true Israelite, in whom there is no guile!" RTS is blessed indeed.


Relationships begin with an introduction.
Sometimes those introductions lead to a better understanding of ourselves.


"Let me tell you why you are here. You're here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness how will people taste godliness...you're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world."
Matthew 5
The Message





3 comments:

  1. You can even be friends and sense a close tie to a person you have never met in the world of the handshake or hug. Thanks for your words and the friendship.

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  2. Friends, even though no handshake, hearts come together.

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  3. Chaim Potok is my all-time favorite writer. When he was alive, my sister and I would regularly check the library for his next long-awaited book. His book, Davita's Harp, is the only book I've ever stayed up until 4:00 a.m. reading. I'm so happy you've been introduced!

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