Ah, we move on more crowded roads today from Sarria to Portomarin. “Crowded” is relative as this isn’t like Times Square or Kalakaua Avenue, but still less contemplative time. As we’re now past the half-way mark of our camino, I’m feeling nostalgic. I’m going to miss this time. I meet Mary and Jarath from Ireland. I find that it’s easy to get along with the people from Ireland. Our culture and perspectives on life seem oddly similar. Island communities perhaps? Dinner tonight is with Andrea from Milan and Josepha from Australia and it’s great to have familiar faces to share a meal with. The big journal item today is that God begins to answer my question about how to hear His voice, “with your heart.” It starts with an earnest heart for God. When we say the shema, we start with loving the LORD our God with all of our “heart.” This feels very foundational. It sounds basic enough. But the more I think about it, the more I begin to realize how difficult it will be to pray with the right heart, the “earnest heart” that beats as God’s heart beats. It is here that we read James 3: 1-12.
Teachers are judged more strictly. (v1)
Your words matter. (v. 6, 9-11)
We’ve grown up with a lie, “sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me.” I suppose the idea behind this is to give the recipient of insults and name calling something to retort against verbal bullies. But words matter. In fact, name calling isn’t contained on the children’s playground. Some adults hurl insults throughout their life. Why? We live in a fallen world. Our calling as people filled with the Spirit, who follow Jesus with an earnest heart, and love God and our neighbor is to be careful of our words. Cursing, snide remarks, or uttering words that put someone down, have no place in the pure temple of God, you and me, as Christ followers. Jesus says, “the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart,” Matthew 15: 18.