Love One Another

I felt dread as the young girl walked to the lectern to deliver her speech. I had heard her speak before at Gavel Club. She had trouble stringing two words together, then she would apologize, and it was always very uncomfortable. I knew everyone had to start somewhere, and the class was always very supportive, clapping and respectful. She even struggled when given something to read. She stumbled over her words, seemed to struggle reading unfamiliar words, and I wasn't sure if she had trouble reading or if it was just unbearable anxiety. It was always painful for me to watch her trying to overcome shyness, fear, the English language.....

I could certainly relate. I am a much better writer than a speaker. I can never say what my heart longs to say. Sometimes I can come close when writing it. So as the girl gathered her notes and walked to the front of the room, I squirmed in my seat and prepared for a few minutes of agony.

The girl began talking about the Harry Potter books. She didn't focus on the plot or the characters like most kids her age would. She focused on the reasons that she loved the books- their major themes and concepts.

"It is a classic story of good and evil, and good wins'" she said smiling, "I know the Harry Potter books are not for everyone, but I think the main message is one of the main messages in the Bible. Love is powerful, and love conquers all.  My family and I discuss the books alot at night, and we talk about how Harry's mom died to save her son, because she loved him so much. That love covered him with a power that even he didn't know where it came from.  My dad always reminds us that the greatest commandment is to love one another. We spend a lot of time talking about how the most powerful "magic" in the book isn't witchcraft, or spells..... it is love. He reminds us that we look like God when we love each other."

I sat there spell bound. There was not a single "um" or "ah", or "hmmm."  She relied a good bit on her notes, but she was inexplicably and uncharacteristically poised. When she finished, I watched her walk quietly back to her seat, sit down and glance at her mom out of the corner of her eye. Her mom smiled and gave her a little thumbs up. The small, skinny girl looked down with a tiny grin creeping across her face.

I longed for what that little girl had. The whole world longs for what that little girl had. And I had been feeling sorry for her, worried for her, wondering if she belonged in the Gavel Club yet. Perhaps it was too much for her, I had thought. I had been wrong.

After the speech, I went up to her and told her that she had improved by light years over her last speech. And I told her I thought her speech was wonderful, so thoughtful, and deep, and well presented. She looked a little surprised. But of course she would. She hadn't given the speech in hopes of winning praise. I think she gave the speech with a heart that was in just the right place.

John 13:34
³⁴ “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. ³⁵ By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”