When I was 13, I was confirmed into the Lutheran church. My classmates and I thoroughly studied the Lutheran catechism, memorizing parts of it--especially the Apostle's Creed and the Nicene Creed, along with Martin Luther's commentary on these documents.
Before Confirmation Day, each member of the class met privately with the pastor. I don't remember my conversation with him, though it was relaxed. (The year was 1970 and the pastor was fired soon after for giving sermons opposing the Vietnam War.)
During the Confirmation Service, the pastor gave each of us a Bible verse. A few of my classmates received "For God so loved the world. . .," the best known verse in the New Testament. The verse assigned to me was one I had never heard:
"Peace I leave with you. My peace I give unto you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." John 14:27
I wondered why the pastor gave me a fairly obscure verse I didn't really understand. In the following years, I often thought of that verse. Gradually I reached a level of comprehension.
Peace I leave with you. What a fantastic gift.
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2 comments:
and May Peace Be With You
Assalaamu Alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu,
Mash'Allah thank you for sharing!
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