Howdy! - Pt 2

When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once. Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’ A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:31-35 ESV). Yesterday I ended with a comment about the nature of the student body at Texas A&M. Whether presently a student or a former student, the Aggie network is very strong. A part of the benefit of being an Aggie is that we tend to look out for one another very closely. I remember that lesson well from my freshman year. We were taught that anytime another Aggie called out, “Old Army Fight!” that it was a call for help. My first corps trip to Ft. Worth proved the worth of that commitment. Walking with several others from my outfit in downtown before midnight yell practice in the stockyards, we heard the cry. It seems some other students about a half block away had run afoul of some members of the rival school and a scuffle erupted. Aggies began to our out of every establishment for blocks. Outnumbered and outmanned the other rival group made a hasty retreat without a punch being thrown. It’s what a family would do. It’s what Aggies do.

I don’t recall ever yelling that cry for help personally; however, I have been recognized by other former students many times simply by the ring I wear. It is perhaps the most recognizable symbol of the Aggie family and network. It dates back to the beginning of the school. The ring is traditionally ordered in gold, and the design has remained mostly unchanged for the past 100 years. Some of them, as we have them for a while (I’ve had mine for 50 years), may show a bit of wear; however, there is no mistaking it for any other school’s symbol. The early Christ-followers (they weren’t called “Christians” until the second century) didn’t have such a symbol; however, there is a strong reason to believe that they identified one another with the drawing of one half of the fish while the other person completed it. The way Jesus wanted His followers to be recognized is clear in our reading today. It was to be by the love we show for one another. I’m afraid we have not done as well there as we could have. Make it your commitment “to love one another as Christ has loved you” today!