I decided to spend some time reading on my recent vacation. In all my reading and listening throughout the week, there were a few lines from the first two chapters of a book that just kept ringing in my ears. The book is Everybody, Always: Becoming Love in a World Full of Setbacks and Difficult People by Bob Goff.
Instead of me telling you what these lines meant to me, I’ve decided it might be best to just leave these lines here for people to read, to wonder about, and to encourage others to read the book. I haven’t finished the book yet, so I’m not sure what other wonderful nuggets are held in there, but I thought these were great pieces to start with. I encourage you to take the time to read each of these quotes and then sit with these wondering questions and see what you discover about yourself and those around you.
QUOTE 1:
To Read:
- “Jesus talked to His friends a lot about how we should identify ourselves. He said it wouldn’t be what we said we believed or all the good we hoped to do someday. Nope, He said we would identify ourselves simply by how we loved people. It’s tempting to think there is more to it, but there’s not. Love isn’t something we fall into; love is someone we become.”
To Wonder:
- I wonder…how do I love people?
- I wonder…what does it look like when I become love?
QUOTE 2:
To Read:
- “It’s given me a lot of comfort knowing we’re all rough drafts of the people we’re still becoming.”
To Wonder:
- I wonder…what rough draft of myself has fallen away?
- I wonder…what is my newest “becoming”?
QUOTE 3:
To Read:
- “You’ll be able to spot people who are becoming love because they want to build kingdoms, not castles. They fill their lives with people who don’t look like them or act like them or even believe the same things as them. They treat them with love and respect and are more eager to learn from them than presume they have something to teach.”
To Wonder:
- I wonder… who do I know that is building kingdoms?
- I wonder…who do I know that is more eager to learn from others than to teach them?
- I wonder…how can I become more eager to learn than to teach?
QUOTE 4:
To Read:
- “Burning down others’ opinions doesn’t make us right. It makes us arsonists.”
To Wonder:
- I wonder…when have I been an arsonist recently (and realized it or not realized it)?
- I wonder…how can I stop myself from being an arsonist again?
I wonder what you discovered about you. I wonder what you discovered about others. I wonder what these readings might lead you to do next…spark a conversation, read more, look for ways to build kingdoms? These quotes seem to me like great places to start as we continue on our journey of connecting with God, people, and purpose. I wonder how they have impacted you.
