Given to Love

Reading Time: < 1 minute

By Michael Avery

One day a priest stopped by the cabin of a prophet asking for donations. The money, he explained, would buy chairs for his church. The name of each donor was to be inscribed on a brass plate and then attached to the back of each chair in recognition of the giver.

The prophet knew that a sincere man stood before him. He also knew that many in the minister’s congregation would benefit from listening to his inspirational words each Sunday. He responded that he would be happy to donate a chair to his church in the valley.

The grateful priest thanked the prophet for his generous gift. “And what name shall we inscribe on the back of your chair?” he asked.

The prophet wrote down three words on a piece of paper, then folded it. “Please inscribe this on the back of the chair in your temple of God,” he requested.

The priest thanked him again, then returned to his church without reading the paper he carried with him in his vest pocket. The following day, he gave the still-folded paper to a man skilled in the art of inscription, along with the names of the other donors.

At last the day came when the chairs arrived. Through the tiny stained glass window, the devoted priest could be seen passing down each row. He stopped first behind one chair and then another, repeating a blessing for each of the benefactors.

Finally, the priest stepped up to the last chair in the back row. He carefully studied the polished brass plate, then, with a smile of approval, knelt down and said a special prayer for the anonymous donor. The inscription simply read “Given to Love.”

From Porcupines at the Dance, p. 111