This morning I was talking to God about how I could best show up in the world. The words above sum up what came to me. And with this, my work has taken on a new dimension. Practically speaking, I don’t even know what this means for me yet. But, I know it’s on target.

Anyone who knows me knows that in whatever I do, my goal is to live the two great commandments—loving God with all of my heart, mind, and soul and loving my neighbor (to include the so called enemy) as myself. At this point, this goal is beyond Christianity in the conventional sense. I think if someone is paying attention to the world or has paid attention to history, they will have a hard time denying that Christianity as an institution has a rough track record when it comes to modeling its own best practices. But Christ? I personally can’t deny who Christ has been in my life with or without the Christian label.

I’m still a firm believer in communities of faith. But, I don’t think institutions will ever fulfill what they can be until each of us takes full ownership of our own journey with our Creator. There’s a whole lot more I could say. But instead of doing that, I’m going to leave you with this prayer that’s been ascribed to the Apostle Paul and just echo that I agree with it.

Prayer for the Readers

¹⁴ For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,^[g] 15 from whom every family^[h] in heaven and on earth takes its name. ¹⁶ I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, ¹⁷ and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. ¹⁸ I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, ¹⁹ and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

²⁰ Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Peace,

Pedro