It seems that one of the most needed resources has vanished in
some parts of the world and in other parts it is being depleted
quicker than it can be replenished. We are suffering a drought when
it comes to brotherly love!
Sometimes I shock myself and sometimes the world shocks me;
the shock comes from viewing the way we treat each other. Do we as
Christians treat our brothers and sisters any better than people who
have no belief in God treat them? We as Christians know what the Bible
says, how we are all descendants of Adam and Eve, but in our daily
interactions with others do we portray that we understand what that
means? Do we show it in our actions?
You would think that all this technology we have would actually bring
us closer as a people. However, the opposite has happened, technology
has only hindered our connections with our brothers and sisters. We
allow television to distract us from our family dinners; of course we
can not forget cellular phones and all the other gadgets. These allow
us to connect with each other in seconds, which is a good thing, but
something like texting does not and will never be able to take the place
of a person-to-person conversation or a hand-written letter. I have
come across many studies that show how technology has damaged our
people-skills and even our writing skills. People have lost the ability to
hold real, wholesome conversations. WOW!
The point is not to bash technology but to help us examine our
day-to-day interactions with others and truly figure out what we as Godfearing
people are doing right or wrong. If you view the news, you hear
the horrible stories of how people murder, rape, abuse, and do harmful
things to others for no reason. It really bewilders me how someone
can do such atrocious things to others. Jesus commands us, “A new
commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; even as I have
loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that
ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:34-35 ASV).
Just take a moment and look at how our society causes division
and separation. We divide ourselves based on ethnicity, skin color,
age, gender, educational level, income, occupation, and so many other
distinctions. Do we ever ask if these separations are Godly? Do we think
the kingdom of God will have these SILLY divisions! I think NOT! We have
all these separations to make ourselves appear better than others! The
last time I checked, we all bleed red blood, need to consume
food for energy, and have the same basic needs. Yet we
separate and believe we are better than this or that person.
Why? As Godly people, should we not strive to be as this
scripture commands us: “My Little children, let us not love
in word, neither with tongue; but in deed and truth. Hereby
shall we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our
heart before him: because if our heart condemn us, God is
greater than our heart, and knoweth all things” (1 John 3:18-
20 ASV)? We should not allow our churches to break up over
debates about what actions you can or cannot do on the
Sabbath, what music should be sung at worship services,
or many other things about which we tend to disagree.
Romans 12:9-11 tells us, “Let love be without hypocrisy.
Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. In love
of the brethren be tenderly affection one to another; in honor
preferring one another; in diligence not slothful; fervent in
spirit; serving the Lord” (ASV).
If we read our Bibles, we have all heard that tough times
are coming our way, so how do we expect our relationships
to survive the coming tribulations if we cannot make
compromises on current discrepancies?! How do we expect
our relationships to survive possibly being tortured for our
belief in God or being jailed for observing the holy days and
the Sabbath?! Can our weak relationships survive during
the extreme times that will come our way? Do you think our
relationships are really that strong when most of us only
interact for about two or three hours out of every week at
Sabbath services? We are supposed to be a family, treating
each other with the love and care we have for our immediate
families; that would require us to spend more time with each
other. We should visit each others’ homes, go on outings
to parks, have Bible studies, and do things that can build
stronger relationships and help us to earnestly get to know
one another. STOP SPEAKING JUST WORDS OF LOVE AND
ACTUALLY LOVE ONE ANOTHER! “He that loveth his brother
abideth in the light, and there is no occasion of stumbling
in him” (1 John 2:10 ASV). In Matthew 24:36-44 Jesus tells
us, “But of that day and hour knoweth no one, neither the
Son, but the Father only…” (ASV). This is exactly why we need
to spend every free moment we have getting to know and
learning to love one another.
It is time for us to end the silly divisions in the church
and if possible the world. It is time to come together,
especially in the church. We know the truth and we are
supposed to be an example to the WORLD! We are to portray
the characteristics Paul listed when he said, “But the fruit
of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, meekness, self-control; against such
there is no law” (Galatians 5:22 ASV).
