A Devotional Thought from Ret. Col. Chaplain Ken Sampson

Good day. I’m Chaplain Ken Sampson, consultant for military outreach here with Guideposts. It’s a privilege to be able to share a devotional thought this day. Our scripture comes from Romans, chapter 12, verse 10. Be kindly disposed to one another with the love of brothers and sisters, in honor, giving preference to one another. 

My brother, Dennis, is a voluntary DJ for a program that’s out in southern California on the radio, public radio, which is entitled Polka A to Z. And on Saturday mornings, I will listen to some of his polka music if for no other reason than to have a establishment or re-establishment of family ties. On a recent program, he told of a story of when he was five years old and I was about 6 and 1/2. And we were back with my dad in central Minnesota. And we were talking with my dad and our great uncle Millard. Uncle Millard and my dad are from Norwegian background. And my dad had apparently done something which was less than stellar. It was embarrassing. It was not really something that was pleasing to my uncle Millard. Millard said to my dad, you’re being a Swede. My brother, five years old, then asked my dad, what does it mean to be a Swede? And my dad responded saying, a Swede is just a very, very nice person. 

Wow. I forgot entirely about that event, which occurred over nearly 60 years ago. But the message that was communicated to me by my dad was, we treat other people, we treat other groups, we treat people with respect and with dignity. That is what is coming across in our scripture text. That as we treat others with this respect, we are invigorated ourselves. 

As we go about this day, how can we be God’s agents of reconciliation, bringing people together, and so build our own spirits in the process? Thank you for this opportunity, and have a blessed day.