We're In This Together

May the patience and encouragement that come from God allow you to live in harmony with each other the way Christ Jesus wants. Then you will all be joined together, and you will give glory to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Christ accepted you, so you should accept each other, which will bring glory to God. 

Romans 15:5-7 

 

Let me ask you something, if you were in an accident and you were trapped inside the vehicle, would you really care who came to help you out?  Probably not.  

 

If you found yourself on a cruise and the ship began to sink, would you be picky about who you share a lifeboat with?  Probably not.

 

In times of devastation and stressful situations, one of the first things we get rid of are our prejudices.  Ever notice that?  Why is that?  If we are willing to discard our prejudices in those times, why bother to reinstate them when the trauma has passed?

 

Let me be honest, we are ALL walking through this life together.  Did you catch that?  TOGETHER!  And to be even more honest, one of the places I have been part of which has the MOST discord (shrouded by a thin veil of piety) is the church!  The one place people go for healing and instead they find power struggles, drama, discord, and more knives in the backs of others than even in prison.  Why is that?  Imagine how much more effective we would be in every situation if we were to drop out petty differences and prejudices and actually worked together.  

What If I Don't Like You?

And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”

~Mark 12:30-31

Last week we talked a little about how true love is a conscious decision and we are choose to love often in spite of each other.  Well, guess what?  Jesus teaches us what love looks like!

Jesus and I have something in common...neither of us are overly fond of "church folk."  You know the ones.  They go to lots of conferences, memorize Scripture by the book, pray in Ye Olde English because they don't think God understands the voice of our hearts, and they are very quick to tell you how you are doing life wrong (without ever looking in the mirror).  "Church Folks" almost drove me away from the church completely, until God showed me something from today's passage: When I love God with everything that I am, I understand how much He loves me, so how can I not love other people?

Now let me be VERY clear...loving others does NOT mean accepting or agreeing with their choices.  For example, I disagree with the militant vegans who will have nothing to do with anything that is not a plant, but I still love them because they are also God's children.  People disagree with the fact that I am rather unorthodox in the sharing of my faith, but they still love me anyway (I am led to believe). After all, Tootsie Rolls and other candies open doors to conversations that a Bible upside the head won't (go figure).  I am not a fan of the "christians"  who insist on yelling and screaming that I am going to Hell if I don't agree with them, but they are God's children too and deserve my love (and prayers and compassion and help if needed).

You see, Jesus didn't hide behind a pulpit, He went where the people were who needed Him.  He didn't condemn people, He loved them (even the "church folk" if you remember Nicodemus).  Jesus CHOSE to love others as much as, and even more than, Himself.  He shared wine and meals with people who the church didn't want.  He went to weddings and celebrations where the "pious" would not be caught dead attending.  He touched lepers, let a prostitute was His feet with her own tears (that's a LOT of tears).  He made friends with the rejected.  He told an adulteress that He did not condemn her as a person, but He did tell her to stop with the adultery. He that loved people!

Yet we look at someone and see what we DON'T like about them.  WE choose to be divisive! WE throw up fences!  WE stab people in the back instead of building them up! WE discourage others instead of encouraging!  WE CHOOSE TO BE JUST LIKE 'CHURCH FOLK'!  And we can CHOOSE to think differently.

Let me put it another way....I have an eclectic taste in music but I am not a fan of Country Music (sorry to all the country music fans).  BUT that doesn't mean I will not spend time with, ride with, or enjoy the company of those who like country music.  And I hope they will still love me when I listen to my classical or rock or Harry Belafonte or any of the other non-country genres on my MP3 player.

We must learn to love and care for other people as much as we care for ourselves!  One way to do that is to pray for the people we don't like!  

Buddhist student: "Master, I am discouraged."

Buddhist Master: "Then Encourage!"

You see?  Pray FOR those we don't like and we will begin to see them as God's Children too because God will remind us that people who don't like us are praying for us as well.  Make a difference and make a friend, love others as yourself by loving God above all!