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Saturday, December 10, 2011

Loving Frank

So yesterday I was requested to give a brief speech to the 7th Day Adventist Church on the nursing school campus. The pastor is a staff member and friend (and by friend I mean I see him everyday), so I thought it wouldn't do any harm to give in to his request. He asked me to read a passage from the Bible and then give some advice to the nursing students.

Freeze. I'm a Hindu. In Uganda, we are termed muhindi. That seems to mean that they realize that we, Indians, have different religions (including Christianity).

Resume. So they've asked a muhindi to give a speech to a non-Hindu Church...yeah. So I read the only Bible verse I really know and like: Corinthians 13:4-8. For the pleasure of my non-Christian readers, I have included it below:

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away."

So I tried to tie this to my "advice" to the nursing students, so I basically said that this idea of love doesn't simply apply to the relationship between men and women, but also between all human beings. To the nursing students, working in healthcare, it is important to be patient, show compassion and understanding. Also, between the students, it is important to support one another and not get wrapped up in the competition of education. It's like the Beatles said, all you need is love. Love can be a solution to problems, health or otherwise.

Apparently the students really liked what I said because they wanted me to speak again today. I told them I couldn't but that I would be happy to give another "sermon" next week. Now, I just have to find myself another Bible passage that I can talk about.

I was thinking about something about Family, since it's close to Christmas...any ideas?


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