My dear Daughter:
We really do not know what to give you on your twenty-first birthday, a very
important milestone in your life. You are a young adult now and you have proved to
me and your Mother how matured you have become. But I want to give you
something else, so I am writing this letter to share with you words about living. I
could write my dearest sweetheart, many wonderful words to help prepare you for
living and also try to make clear to you some issues about Honesty, Faith, hope, and
Choosing the right directions. But your Mother and I hope that our awareness of
who you are and who we are and the helpfulness in the past make such words
unnecessary.
Paul in his letter to the Christians at Corinth says that it is not letters
written with ink that are important, but how we as members of the community of
faith are ourselves letters from Christ to others. Paul suggests something which
Mother and I want to suggest to you, that formal letters of recommendation are not
what are needed or expected; rather, it is the letter written by our lives, words, and
deeds. Paul also said to them “FOR THE SPIRIT SEARCHES EVERY THING,
EVEN THE DEPTHS OF GOD.” Now sweetheart here is a text we suggest you
write down somewhere handy in your textbooks, diary, some place where you will
run across it from time to time. “FOR THE SPIRIT SEARCHES EVERYTHING,
EVEN THE DEPTHS OF GOD.” Why? There are two reasons. First, the Greek
word that translates into “Searches” means to investigate, to fully and deeply
examine, to test. It is the word Plato and Philo used in their academic, scientific, and
philosophic investigations. So like St. Paul choose your words carefully. It is the
“SPIRIT” he says that “SEARCHES EVERYTHING, EVEN THE DEPTHS OF
GOD.” Secondly, the Greek word that translates into “EVERYTHING,” means
just that , EVERYTHING, all things, the whole creation. The stuff your brother,
me, and your Mother are made of. The stuff for which even your college
exists and for which you pay tuition. “FOR THE SPIRIT SEARCHES
EVERYTHING, EVEN THE DEPTHS OF GOD.”
So now sweetheart, on this memorable day, your TWENTY-FIRST
BIRTHDAY think seriously about all these. You see sweetheart all of us, you, me,
your brother and your mother are not detached. We have roots, we are not
wondering, purposeless humans. Rather we are co-searchers, one with the SPIRIT
born of Jesus Christ and Him crucified. This puts a whole new light on living
doesn’t it? Well good searching. Love from all of us and A VERY HAPPY
BIRTHDAY TO YOU. Love.