I have preached a few times lately on loving one another and felt I should write something on that. Then I remembered this story and found this rendition and this is better than anything I could write. He who has ears to hear…
Juan Carlos Ortiz sat comfortable in his chair while the congregation finished the final stanza of a song. He had labored in pray for many hours on what to say to the congregation. The title of his message was rather simple, Love One Another, but he thought that the message was very important given the spiritual life of the congregation.
When the band played the final note of the song, Pastor Ortiz stood up to walk to the pulpit but as he stood, God spoke.
"Juan”. "Yes, Lord"
"How many sermons have your preached on theme of loving one another?"
"I don't know Lord, maybe a dozen or more."
"And how many times have your exhorted the congregation in other sermons to love one another."
"I don't know Lord, maybe a dozen or more also."
Have they done any good?
The conversation with God ended the moment Pastor Ortiz positioned himself behind the pulpit. The Lord's words were ringing in his ears. He thought to himself, "I have preached dozens of sermons on love and what good have they done. This congregation still spends more time looking after their own interests more than others. They barely know one another. They are not friends with each other. They barely talk to one another after the church service." Juan Carlos stood silent in the pulpit. His congregation waited for him to begin his sermon. Pastor Ortiz began his sermon, "Love one another." He then went and sat down.
People looked at one another thinking that they had missed something. They were accustomed to sermon of nearly an hour not 3 seconds. The congregation did not know what to do. After what seemed like an eternity, Juan Carlos walked back to the pulpit. The people repositioned themselves in their pews assuming that he would now deliver his message. Juan Carlos again said, "Love one another," and then he again sat down. Heads really began to turn. Some began to murmur. No one knew what to do. Pastor Ortiz again waited and then he again walked to the pulpit. He waited for the congregation to become settled and then as before the only words he delivered were three, "Love one another" before he returned to his chair behind the pulpit.
Now a general stirring moved through the congregation. People began talking to one another, everyone asking the other if they knew what their pastor meant. Finally, an elder stood up and spoke. He said, "I think that I understand what Pastor Ortiz means. He wants me to love you." (Pointing to someone in the pew behind him) "But how can I love you, when I do not know you." With that, he introduced himself and began to meet the people behind him. Others got up from their pews and introduced themselves to people they had seen but not met. Phone numbers were exchanged. Dinner invitations extended. Arrangements were made for financial assistance. Before the service ended, someone raised enough money for bus tickets a family could return to their village. Another man arranged employment for a man out of work and someone offered an apartment a homeless family. With just three simple words he delivered his most powerful sermon.1
1 Juan Carlos Ortiz, from a lecture delivered at St. Paul's Presbyterian Church, Mentor, OH, November, 1981.