A How To Love Poem by my friend George Pasley

How To Love 

by Rev. George Pasley

Sometimes it matters not
Whom I love, nor why,
But only that I love
And that My love
Is both merciful and generous.

There are many kinds of friends God has blessed me with all through the years of my life in all the places that I have lived and at all the schools I have attended.  Among them is George, George Pasley - not 'Paisley' = as he would correct me many times the first few months of our friendship.  

George is a very humble man with a heart of gold and the mind of a poet.  When I first met him at his Church First Presbyterian Church of Howard County, Columbia, Maryland, he was working for Southern States.  He wore overalls and sheered sheep among other things for a living.  He was the leader of the Junior Hi or Mid Hi fellowship at the Church and he had 20+ kids to lead and teach.  He also was a night watch man in the evening hours at the Church while meetings and such went on in the building.  

Their Interim Associate Pastor Nominating Committee had many candidates and they picked me - who had never worked in a Church in this country.  I did tell them that.  God does have a sense of humor.  Thus they picked me.  I was not even ordained then. Fresh out of Presbyterian School of Christian Education I was.

George taught me how to do many parts of my job.  He was not paid for that.  I paid him with rice and curries that he did not enjoy eating but that did not stop him from teaching me.  He was a great teacher.  He taught me in ways that I did not even know that I was being taught.  The youth loved him.  He was so nice to them.  I was the bad guy, that George nick-named "an iron maiden" at a Jr. Hi lock-in.  The kids loved it of course.  

George was much deeper in his faith and  Christian commitments.  His sermons at youth retreats etc. were marvelous.  So, I pushed him to check out Princeton Seminary.  Long story short.  George loved Seminary studies and he has now been an ordained Presbyterian pastor for more than 10 years.  He kept on writing poems all through his studies and the practicing of ministry . In fact his poetry writing is one of his ministries.  He is friends with other poets like Ann Weems.  George was and still is kind to all he meets.  Grumpy at times but always kind-hearted.  

Why do I write all about George? Please do read the Love Poem he wrote today.  He did not give it a title but I call it "Love Poem".  If we only can learn to love one another in ways that George loves we will be a bit closer to following Jesus' commandment found in the gospel according to:

 

John 13:34-35. “I give you a new commandment – to love  one another. Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. ⁸⁷  13:35 Everyone  will know by this that you are my disciples – if you have love for one another.”

How To Love

by Rev. George Pasley

Sometimes it matters not
Whom I love, nor why,
But only that I love
And that My love
Is both merciful and generous.