Truth and Love

I am neither chemist nor cook, so verification of the following may be necessary. Sodium is an extremely active element found naturally only in combined form. It always links itself to another element. Chlorine, on the other hand, is the poisonous gas that gives bleach its offensive odor. When sodium and chlorine are combined, the result is sodium chloride - common table salt - the substance we use to preserve meat and bring out it's flavor. Love and truth can be like sodium and chlorine. Love without truth can be blind and sentimental and carries a tendency to soften the sharp edges of truth. On the other hand, truth by itself may be overly offensive, sometimes even brutal. Spoken without love it can turn people away from the gospel. When truth and love are combined in an individual or church, then we have what Jesus wants His church to be - the salt of the earth. It is then we are able to preserve and bring out the beauty of our faith. The church and the individuals in it are the repository and pillar of the truth. The love of Christ has been shed abroad in our hearts and therefore we can love as He loved. I don't always keep these two elements in balance, and I know the result is diminished effectiveness. I can only say that I am a work in progress - Christ is not finished with me yet, and I hope to be saltier as time goes by. I hope you will be also.

On a health note: The bilirubin count now stands at 15.7! Our prayer is that the enzymes and bilirubin will continue to fall. The fourth post-surgery MRI is scheduled for Wednesday. Please pray that there will be what is known as a clear report - no new tumor activity. God bless you.