A few years back, my late wife Kathy and I spent the weekend in Nashville. The occasion was our wedding anniversary. It’s hard to believe I was married to that blue-eyed blond for over half my life.
We stayed at the Hampton Inn near the Vanderbilt University campus. On Saturday and Sunday morning I took my two-mile walks on the Vanderbilt campus. Students had not returned from spring break so, for all practical purposes, I had the campus all to myself. It was a great time to enjoy a beautiful campus. And, on this weekend it was serenely quiet.
On Saturday morning I got out early and left Kathy sleeping. At the elevator on the 5th floor, two black women were waiting for the elevator to arrive. They were both wearing beautiful, brightly colored dresses with matching accessories.
“Good morning!” I greeted them. “You ladies are mighty dressed up for going out this morning!”
“We’re on our way to church!” the larger of the two ladies chirped.
“Where are you ladies from?” I asked.
“Chicago!” the other lady replied with a broad smile.
“You’ve come all the way from Chicago to go to church in Nashville?” I asked.
“Yes, we have!” they both nodded.
“Well, I hope you have a blessed day!” I said.
“And you, too, sir!” they responded in unison.
Well, they were not the only two persons staying at the hotel who were going to church. We stepped off the elevator to find the hotel lobby filled with people. The hall was filled. The dining area was filled. Church-going people were everywhere. All the women were dressed up.
The men wore pin-stripped suits with brightly colored ties. The girls wore colorful cotton dresses. The boys wore oxford cloth, button-down
shirts with well-fitting slacks. The entire “congregation” presented a sight to behold…in a very heart-warming way.
But what I particularly noticed was the sound that filled the hotel lobby. It is a sound I have heard many times over the course of my life…a sound with which I am intimately familiar. It is almost a humming sound. It is a sound only to be heard among God’s people. It is the sound of people loving God…and each other.
If I were describing the sound in terms of something that could be seen, I would call it a “glow” or “after-glow.” I think it was the sound of joy.
Sadly, it is not to be found in many churches or religious gatherings anymore. It is becoming alarmingly rare. Remember, I wrote “the sound of people loving God…and each other.”
It all starts with loving God. When we get our love for God right, loving each other naturally follows.
Unfortunately, “the love of many has waxed cold.” I am afraid we have lived to see post-modern man “having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof.”
But, let’s get back to the sound of joy. It is a wonderful thing to sit among God’s people and listen to the “hum” of joy. Among people who love God, and each other, there is no pretense, no show, no hidden agendas, no big I’s and little you’s – just people caught up in worshipping the true and living God. It truly is “joy unspeakable and full of glory.”
I have often found myself with God’s people at a shared meal with little or no appetite for the food being served. It was not that the food was bad. I just wanted to “be there” – to watch and listen and be a part of something very special. And I have come to understand what Jesus meant when he told his disciples on one occasion, “I have meat (food) to eat that ye know not of.” I think He spoke of food that feeds the soul. I have tasted that food.
If you are fortunate enough to be a part of a fellowship of believers where your soul is regularly fed, be sure to count it as one of your blessings; and guard it as you would your own heart.
Copyright 2024 by Jack McCall
