Now 18 months into our new RockSteady Boxing, I paused to reflect on the successes of our program and consulted my distinguished distant relative. His name is Paul T. Cilicia. Note the ancient Roman surname but he is Jewish. He made his living in the textile industry, carving out a special niche in making tents. He is a Karaite Jew… Oh, what’s that? Karaite literally means “reader” and the Karaite Jews are a sect that base their theology on the literal interpretation of Scripture which we Christians call the Old Testament. (They do not adhere to Rabbi interpretations in the Talmud and Mishna). He is also a Messianic Jew who understands the Old Testament as prophecy to the coming of Christ. He is an internationally-recognized author, but he has provided teaching manuals for the Mississippi communities of Corinth, Sardis, and Philadelphia.
Here is our conversation.
“Feter Paul, good morning.” (Feter is Yiddish for uncle).
“Top of the morning to you, Pleminik. What’s on your mind?” (Pleminik is Yiddish for Nephew).
“Feter Paul, I have talked with you before about the successes of our boxing program for Parkinson’s disease. We are looking to our recent past to guide us in the future. To what would you attribute our success?” I asked.
“Dear Plemi’,” he paused. “This may sound a bit hokey… maybe indirect or even obtuse… but I would attribute your success to a function of love. Your colleagues are facing a progressive disease with no known cure, but love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures to every circumstance. Your program exudes love.”
“Thank you, Feter. I have to agree with your assessment. It is almost unbelievable how the pieces have fit together. We feel that we have been blessed by the direct hand of God. Whether dealing with personnel, logistics, facilities, or finance, we have had no apparent hiccups.”
“No hiccups… for good reason. It’s a function of love…. Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous; neither is it boastful or proud. Love does not command its own way and is not rude. It keeps no record of being wrong and does not rejoice about injustice.”
“We are trying to find cures for this disease but progress is slow,” I said.
“Now your knowledge is partial and incomplete; the experts see only part of the whole picture. It’s like looking at puzzling reflections in the mirror. Be patient. Remember that delayed hope makes the heart grow sick. Perfect clarity will come with time.”
“Thank you, Feter Paul. Your words seem timeless.”
“Timeless, indeed! There are three things that will last forever – faith, hope, and love – and the greatest of these is love.”
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