SHAKE THE DUST OFF YOUR FEET... AND LEAVE HIS DOOR












Pic.: Sheela Mohan



“As you enter a house, wish it peace.  If the house is worthy,
let your peace come upon it; if not, let your peace return to you.
Whoever will not receive you or listen to your words,
go outside that house or town and shake the dust from your feet.”



When Jesus gave this advice to his disciples, He had made it very clear to them: “Look guys, you may have in your heart the best of the best intentions, you may be love and peace personified under the sky… your motive may be pure and selfless, you may have gone to their homes for their sake and not yours, yet, be prepared to be ‘rejected’.”

You may be good and selfless, and you may have the best intention and concern for others, but, how the other person perceives you - whether he welcomes you or shoos you off… is, certainly, not in your hand…

But, one thing, most certainly, is: If the other person rejects you, shoos you off, you do not have to sulk, scream and shout… You do not have to be sad, guilty or angry… Instead, you have the greatest choice with you… You can shake off the dust of his home, his town, before you leave…


You have gone there carrying peace… If they are worthy, they shall receive it from you… If not, carry it back with you… Let their rejection, their unworthiness, not disturb your own peace… Move to the next home, the next town… your next God-indented mission…

Yes, you may have gone to them with best of the best advice, and mind you, for their good and not yours… Still, they will judge you, misread your intention… reject you and even condemn you… But, if peace is what you have gone there with, may that be the case… Please do not waste your time arguing, justifying, defending, shouting and screaming… Leave their doors… shake off the dust from your sandals… Leave behind the negativity, the poison…

Yes, you do not have to carry the negativity and poison of another person home…

Shake the dust off your sandals, and leave his door…

Move to the next door… Your peace intact!



Read this Post all over again, and again and again… You will find how useful – and how timeless - the advice is…

Peace be with you.


GERALD D’CUNHA

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