Pastor Ralph J. Mineo, St. Luke's Lutheran Church

There's a series of Christian books and videos called "The Donut Repair Club." The main character is Duncan, the Donut Man. Kids make up the club. The theme song goes, "Life without Jesus is like a donut, like a donut. 'Cause there's a hole in the middle of your heart."

That little jingle always makes me ask myself "What is the empty place in my soul right now that needs to be filled?" I would ask this question of everyone. What we fill our lives with really matters! And, oh, how people can make the wrong choices!

The best choice, I believe, is to allow God to fill the deepest emptiness of our lives. We do this in personal prayer. We do this in fellowship with other believers, in the church that Jesus gave us to fill the empty places. I really believe we are created with deep longing to be connected to God. But we have the free will to try to fill that longing with the wrong things. The wrong things seem to work for a while, perhaps, but the emptiness always returns.

One of my favorite stories is "Journey to the Center of the Earth" by Jules Verne. It's about an expedition that's filled with dangers of all types, including physical threats, betrayal, greed, and death. This puts me in mind of our greatest quest: the journey to the center of our souls (or hearts). We CAN find God there. The journey isn't always easy, or kind, or fair. But we can ALWAYS find God, in Christ Jesus, at the center.

The most wonderful truth of our faith is that Jesus always shows up when we need him! Blessings to you, Jesus with you, on your journey to the center of your soul, the center of your heart.