Making Your Mark

My wife and I were driving to the airport through downtown St. Louis and I noticed all the graffiti on a new crosswalk over the highway. I didn't understand it and most of the time I don't. It's hard for me to understand why someone would so quickly mar new beautiful construction. 

They tell me that graffiti is about self-expression. As if to say, "I don't have a voice. No one is listening so I'm doing something out loud here in this art." Sometimes it's marking territory with gangs, "Just letting you know who is boss around here." Other times it's flat out rebellion, "You make the rules. I break them. And you can't stop me!" 

At it's fundamental level though, I think it's a way to say, "I was here. Here's the proof." That's why the oldest form of graffiti was usually three words, "Sam was here." "Tracy was here." Hollywood may not know my name, but you will. I'm leaving my mark here so you'll know and you won't forget me.

Remembering Germaine

A few days ago, a woman from our church drew her last breath, said her last prayer, and closed her eyes for the final time. At her memorial, stories were shared about her life. Though her body weakened with age, her zeal for faith only seemed to strengthen. She lived with a faith that was always visible—never subtle, and she often spoke her mind, but never in a mean or unkind way.

Often, after Sunday gatherings when I had preached, she would catch me and say, "Shawn, you know what? You're getting better. I'm praying for you and it seems to me that God is on the move around here and He is using you!" I never took offense at the "you're getting better" part, as I am intentional about improvement. I would tell her, "Germaine, thank you for praying. Please, keep it up!"

Paul's Words on Legacy

In 2 Corinthians 3, Paul writes in self-defense, responding to those "super apostles" who claimed superiority. He asks, "Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you, or from you?" (2 Cor. 3:1, ESV). Paul's point is clear: he doesn't need a publicist or to in some way leave an obvious mark, nor does he seek to overshadow others.

Paul continues, "You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all. And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts" (2 Cor. 3:2-3, ESV). There is no need to leave behind physical evidence. You are our graffiti. My legacy is found in transformed lives—faithfulness and devotion to Jesus are the greatest evidence.

The Mark We Leave

That is the legacy Germaine left for me and for us. The evidence is undeniable. She does not need a plaque in the church, a memorial stone on our campus, or a letter in the paper to mark her life. (Not that those things are bad.) God, by His Spirit, has written graffiti on our hearts: "Germaine was here."

I hope to live in the same way. What kind of graffiti is your life painting today? Jesus does His best artwork through the Spirit, painting on the hearts of human beings.

Take Some Courage on Veterans Day

In "Washington: A Life", Ron Chernow paints a vivid scene of courage:  

At dusk on October 14, Washington delivered a pep talk to Hamilton’s men, urging them to “act the part of firm and brave soldiers...” “I thought then that His Excellency’s knees rather shook,” said Captain Stephen Olney, “but I have since doubted whether it was not mine.” The artillery pounded the two redoubts to weaken them for the assault. Then, as night fell, with shells illuminating the sky, Hamilton and his party rose from their trenches and sprinted across the open field. To ensure speed and surprise, they had orders not to shoot their muskets but only to employ fixed bayonets. Standing on elevated ground, Washington watched the dramatic scene with Generals Lincoln and Knox. “Sir, you are too much exposed here,” urged Washington’s aide David Cobb, Jr. “Had you not better step a little back?” “Colonel Cobb,” Washington said coolly, “If you are afraid, you have liberty to step back.” 

Such was the courage of George Washington and others who stepped up when the existence of our nation hung by a thread. 

It's good for me to pause and reflect on those days especially in seasons like these when I might believe the stresses of life are unparalleled. These days are perhaps unprecedented in the span of my lifetime. But they pale in comparison to the tumult of the Revolutionary War, the Civil War and WWII. 

Veterans Day is a good reminder to pause and reflect on brave men and women who held the line when it was needed. I could use some of their courage. Perhaps you could too. 

Reflect. Remember. Then square your shoulders and face the day.