What a week it has been! Ebola is taking lives in West Africa. Israel and Hamas are bombing each other, with innocent civilians paying the price. ISIS (or ISIL) is beheading people simply for their faith. An unarmed teen is gunned down near St. Louis. Depression overtook a very funny, compassionate man and he hanged himself.
Most of these events, and others happening in the world, seem to stem from our inability to see other people as being a part of us rather than apart from us. We bring US aid workers home to cure them of Ebola, but have to be cajoled to share the medicine with Africa. My religion is better than your religion, so you deserve to die. You aren't behaving as I think you should, so I'm going to rid the world of you. You don't deserve to live in or have control over this or that piece of land. And on and on it goes.
We are not created to be, or to think we are, better than anyone else. We are created to build one another up, to support one another, to encourage one another. We are created to love one another, even people from other cultures, and to share God's love with them in every way we can. Let us actively look for ways of making the days better for people around us. If we do that, then maybe it will expand from us to others, and from them to still more.
Creator God, your creation seems to be degrading into chaos again. We need your presence to help restore order. As your Word went forth to create this world we know, so we need your Word to once again be the leading and guiding force in decision-making today. Let us take that Word into the world in such a way that all your people are touched by your grace and mercy, and experience your love in such a way that they may be accepting of others...
Most of these events, and others happening in the world, seem to stem from our inability to see other people as being a part of us rather than apart from us. We bring US aid workers home to cure them of Ebola, but have to be cajoled to share the medicine with Africa. My religion is better than your religion, so you deserve to die. You aren't behaving as I think you should, so I'm going to rid the world of you. You don't deserve to live in or have control over this or that piece of land. And on and on it goes.
We are not created to be, or to think we are, better than anyone else. We are created to build one another up, to support one another, to encourage one another. We are created to love one another, even people from other cultures, and to share God's love with them in every way we can. Let us actively look for ways of making the days better for people around us. If we do that, then maybe it will expand from us to others, and from them to still more.
Creator God, your creation seems to be degrading into chaos again. We need your presence to help restore order. As your Word went forth to create this world we know, so we need your Word to once again be the leading and guiding force in decision-making today. Let us take that Word into the world in such a way that all your people are touched by your grace and mercy, and experience your love in such a way that they may be accepting of others...
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