Finding Unity in these dividing times
[Eph 4:1-6 NLT] 1 Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. 2 Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love. 3 Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. 4 For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. 5 There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all.
There is a great and growing division growing in families, friends, the church, and in the Republic.
We have to begin to learn how to quick to carefully listen to each other and not think we know what people think before they share their thoughts. We have to listen with empathy as we want to be heard with empathy.
We have to learn to be slow to speak, carefully and prayerfully choosing our words and attempting to speak the truth we see with grace filled love to each other.
We have to be very slow to have anger and do all we can to resist becoming bitter towards each other hating others because their thoughts are different than our thoughts.
The issues today are the pandemic and prejudiced based on the color of a person's skin or what is commonly called racism.
I have heard
Children divorce their parents over these issues.
Parents divorce their children over these issues.
Members of the body of Christ divorce their pastors on these issues.
Pastor divorce members of the body of Christ over these issues.
Friends forsaken over these issues.
Husbands and wives in hot and angry fights on these issues.
Few of us want to promote either white supremacy, a society that throws all caution to the wind concerning the pandemic or total shut down of society with tyrannical control to protect us from the virus or a violent communist revolution coming out in the streets.
Some hold these views but most do not.
Our opinions lay in the wonderful "grey middle" .
But we are filled with fear with those that differ with us.
We have not learned to agree, to disagree, agreeably
We have forgotten to pray for each other even when we see them as our enemy.
We are not loving each other in this conflict.
The God ordained relationships are more important than having the "right" answer on all the issues.
Perhaps only by praying and listening to each other seeking wisdom from God can we find the answers.
Perhaps the only true and balanced answer can come through us looking, seeking, and working together.
May God grant us the ability to love each other well, hear each other well, and seek solutions to the complex issues that provide real win/win solutions to this time of crisis.
LORD, bless us by making us YOUR peacemakers for this generation. Help us prayerfully bring light, love, and logic to these questions with humility of heart. Amen