When I was a student in college, I had the privilege of spending time with the pastor of a large church who would answer my questions and let me see how he went about his work. One day I asked him about the prestige of pastoring a large downtown historic congregation. He said something to this effect. “I’d be just as happy pastoring a small country church if that’s what God called me to do. I have learned that Dante was right.”
Well, I had not read Dante – still haven’t, sad to say – but he went on to quote from the Divine Comedy, and I’ve never forgotten the quote. I’ve since learned that some people say that it’s the most beautiful sentence Dante every wrote:
“In His Will Is My Peace.”
It reminds me of another slogan we used to quote in college: “The Will of God: Nothing More, Nothing Less, Nothing Else.”
As we wrap up an old year and start another, those are not bad slogans to claim.
PS – Adapted from my sermon “The Empty Heart” at www.donelson.org, under the sermon tab.