Thought for Today
Leviticus 19:18 you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.
John 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also.
Romans 15:5 May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus,
Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God.
“ . . . our relationship to God is a new life in ‘being there for others,,’ in participation in the being of Jesus . . . The church is only the church when it is there for others.” (I Want to Live These Days with You, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, pg. 237)
Certainly God did not mean that I have to love all my neighbors! Certainly there are qualifications, exemptions and exclusions. And, as long as I am quibbling, love is a pretty strong word. Surely being ‘well disposed’ qualifies. Similarly, all is a very broad, inclusive word. It’s one thing to be well disposed toward those of my neighbors who look like us, who think like us . . . even if they were not born and raised in Texas.
Isn’t Bonhoeffer being a bit extreme in declaring that our relationship to God is defined by “being there for others?” Isn’t the church defined by our theology, our liturgy and our system of beliefs and practices?
In all of this, isn’t there some aspect of identity as a Christian that is exclusive to me? Shouldn’t my relationship with God be centered around my own, personal identity? Aren’t Jesus’ words “a place for you” meant to emphasize that I have a special place in eternity? Shouldn’t I expect to occupy the house next door to Jesus throughout eternity?
We may not ever ask those questions out loud when anyone else is around. Hopefully we never hear those questions asked at church. But, for many of us, those questions and similar questions lurk in the dark, shadowy recess in our minds. They are not so much intellectual questions as they are questions of personal identity. Far too many of us are inculcated with the idea that we are individually the center of the universe.
Christians, however, are taught that the world does not revolve around any individual. “Psalm 24:1 The earth is the LORD's and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it.” Creation belongs to its Creator. The universe actually does revolve around our Creator God. The same God who, in fact, did tell us to love each other.
Our nation is currently sharply divided in a (not so) civil war over immigration. Immigration is not, in and of itself, a religious question, a theological issue or a ‘church’ question. I believe that it is imperative for Christians to begin our considerations of the issue with the realization that there are fellow Christians on both sides of the issue. Maybe even more important, all of the immigrants are equally children of God. Many are also co-religionists, Christians of almost every faith tradition.
I believe that every nation has the right to set and protect its borders, to define what it means to be a citizen of that nation. As a Christian, I also believe that I have a higher calling, a higher claim of loyalty on my person. My thoughts, words and actions on every issue of life should be formed by my belief in God and in Jesus, the Christ.
That part is easy. The difficult part is discerning God’s will and intent in the various issues we all face daily. Some years ago, there was a popular trend oriented around the phrase, “What Would Jesus Do?” The acronym decorated bookmarks, bracelets, decals and other trinkets, WWJD.
As a Christian, I know what Jesus did do. I don’t need to ask; I’ve read the book. I know that Jesus said, “Luke 10:27 . . . ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.’"
Love, not be well disposed toward. All, not just some. “Romans 12:18 If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” It is possible; it all depends on me and you. We just need to figure out how to do it.
Love your neighbor, be there for each other, trust God,
Pastor Ray