Our good neighbor in one...
Illustration
Our good neighbor in one of our parishes was a keeper of bees. We lived on a city street, but he had several hives in his garden behind the house. To take care of them, he donned the garb: the gloves, the cloth over his face. Prepared, he then reached in and got the honey. And what to us was the best part, he shared the honey with us.
One day I was over watching Bill taking care of his bees. When he was finished, he said to me, "Do you know much about bees?" I confessed that I didn't. He said: "I will tell you something. Everything has to be quiet for them to make honey." He went on to explain: "All I need to do to keep them from making honey is to tap the hive. Just tap it, and they will buzz around. Then when they become quiet, I could tap it again, and they would buzz some more." He repeated, "Everything has to be quiet for them to make honey."
Fussing, arguing, debating, taking up sides against one another on the issues that divide us -- as long as we are doing these things, we never "make honey for the Lord." It is when we become quiet, when we are like-minded, when we are one in spirit and purpose, that's when we make our Lord's joy complete, and that's when we can be builders of the church.
One day I was over watching Bill taking care of his bees. When he was finished, he said to me, "Do you know much about bees?" I confessed that I didn't. He said: "I will tell you something. Everything has to be quiet for them to make honey." He went on to explain: "All I need to do to keep them from making honey is to tap the hive. Just tap it, and they will buzz around. Then when they become quiet, I could tap it again, and they would buzz some more." He repeated, "Everything has to be quiet for them to make honey."
Fussing, arguing, debating, taking up sides against one another on the issues that divide us -- as long as we are doing these things, we never "make honey for the Lord." It is when we become quiet, when we are like-minded, when we are one in spirit and purpose, that's when we make our Lord's joy complete, and that's when we can be builders of the church.
