It was the one of the most surreal experiences I can ever remember having. I took my coffee, gathered my Bible, I-pad, journal, and devotional books, and sat down on my sun porch in my usual place to read and meditate. I thought to myself that it was a perfect morning—65 degrees outside, low humidity, birds singing—just gorgeous.

Out of nowhere, a ray of sun burst through the trees outside my window and bathed my face with light. The sounds of the breeze intensified, and the rustling through the trees was mesmerizing. I glanced up and saw my reflection in the glass door in front of me. The reflection of my face was glowing! It was literally glowing! I felt instantly that I was in the presence of the Lord, just as I can imagine Moses must have felt when he saw the burning bush. It was mystifying–almost frightening!

My hands literally shot up in the air in an attitude of praise. The sun continued to bathe me in its incredible rays. Though the morning was chilly, and I had goose bumps on my arms, I was warmed through and through. The Holy Spirit seemed to envelop me and to call to remembrance 1 Corinthians 13:12-13:

“Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:12-13 NLT)

An inaudible but very clear voice spoke, “Write.” And I responded, “Lord, but what? What do I write?  I already write!”

The light gradually moved away, and I sat spellbound.

What had just happened? Had the Lord of the Universe told me in very clear terms to write? I had gotten similar messages before but not this directly. Was this real or my imagination? Yet even the title of my journal, on further inspection, seemed to reassure me it was real, “With God All Things Are Possible.” (Matthew 19:26)

Again, I asked the question, “What do I write?”

My I-pad was beside me on the table, and I picked it up to find and read for myself 1 Cor. 13:12-13. I put it back down on the table and tried to see my reflection in the glass again, but it was gone. Then without warning, the I-pad beside me began speaking aloud. I jumped to see what was happening as the voice spoke loudly and clearly: “If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.” (1 Corinthians 13:1 NLT)

I had no idea how the I-pad began speaking, but I scrambled to see if I could turn it off. Perhaps I had brushed it somehow and turned on the audio. I still cannot comprehend how the machine spoke, but I did know what I was to write about: God’s love and his expectation that we love others!

And so, I began to write what I seemed to hear Him saying:

“Love for others has all but disappeared in your culture which is bent on hatred and selfishness. You are a rude people, intent on having your own way with no regard for others. You need to love others—not hate them. I told you very clearly in my Word how you are to behave.”

Almost instantly a passage of scripture came to mind:

^“One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: ‘Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?’

 Jesus replied, ‘What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?’

The man answered, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind. And, love your neighbor as yourself.’

^‘Right’ Jesus told him. ‘Do this and you will live!’

The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’

Jesus replied with a story: ‘A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road.

By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side.

Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, ‘Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I’ll pay you the next time I’m here.’

^‘Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?’ Jesus asked.

The man replied, ‘The one who showed him mercy.’

Then Jesus said, ‘Yes, now go and do the same.’” (Luke 10:25-37 NLT)

In a world increasingly filled with hatred, bigotry, and racism, the Word is very clear. We need to love those who are unlovable, those who are different, those who persecute us, those who even despise us. LOVE!

My mind drifted back to Seoul, Korea, 1968, the day I learned first-hand the evils of prejudice and racism. I was getting off a bus after work heading to the little room we rented in the home of a Korean family. My husband, Gerry, was serving in the military, and I was working on base as a secretary. Korea was still struggling to rise out of the rubble of the Korean War.

As I descended the stairs of the bus, I saw a Korean man who was standing on the sidewalk with his back to me. Just as I passed him, he whirled around and urinated on me. I was terrified! Several months pregnant at the time, I ran for my life down the street crying out and weeping as he laughed hysterically behind me. It was the most terrifying, humiliating experience I had ever had.

It would be years before I could tell anyone about my experience. I felt violated, humiliated, shamed. The man did not know me, but he had, I believe, degraded me merely because I was a white woman.

Much prayer and reflection on that experience brought me to better understand the evils of racism. Now, I could choose to hate people of other races because of that tragic moment, but the Lord has told me repeatedly that I should see beyond that experience to what he wants me to do–love—not hate. He even explained in his Word what love looks like:

“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. . .Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 4-7, 13 NLT)

The Scriptures warn us that the Lord knows even our evil thoughts and will deal with them, “But if we disobey God, as the people of Israel did, we will fall. For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.” (Hebrews 4:11-13)

One of my husband’s favorite verses that he often quoted to our children comes from this passage in Corinthians:

“When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things.” (1 Corinthians 13:11 NLT)

Perhaps it’s time for all of us to put away our old, mean, hateful ways of thinking and do as Jesus commanded: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind and your neighbor as yourself.” (Luke 10:27 NLT)

What about you? Has the Lord ever spoken to you in some unusual, mysterious way that caused you to question your reality and wonder what was happening around you? Has He ever challenged you to speak out on an issue and even share personal details of your life when it was uncomfortable to do so? Has he ever given you a message in an inexplicable way that you felt He wanted you to share with others? If so, I’d love to hear about your experiences.

Thanks for reading, sharing, and commenting each week. Many blessings!