I just keep thinking this week about all the killings and the hate that is going on in our world lately. It’s always been here, I know, but maybe I am more aware. When I was a little girl in Sunday School we used to sing a song that said Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world. No matter what their skin color, Jesus loves them all! Are we teaching this hatred at home in any form of prejudices that could be rubbing off on our kids? Are they learning this somehow in school not to be tolerant? Is society teaching them that whatever the color of their skin or whatever the religious beliefs that they are somehow superior over the next person?
My brother is gay, my brother in law is Indian, my sister in law is African American, I have many Jewish friends, Indian friends, Caucasian friends, Asian friends, Christian friends, straight friends, gay friends, and so forth. I love my family and friends more than anything in the world! The Bible says in Romans 12:21 “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” God is love. God is not a God of hate. I don’t care what color your skin is, what your sexual orientation is, what your religion is, if you are kind and friendly to me, I will be kind and friendly to you, but we all have to reciprocate that and try hard to live that way. I don’t hate anybody! I’m not better than anybody! It’s only by God’s grace that I have what I have anyway. You don’t have to agree with your neighbor to show them love and to be kind to them. What would happen if we all strove to work together, despite religious beliefs, political beliefs or anything else we disagree about? What would happen?
God showed kindness, and just to point something out here, God was a Jew! Side note on that, but in the Bible, the people brought an adulterous woman before God and said she should be stoned to death. Do you know what God said? He without sin, cast the first stone. Her accusers all left. I doubt there are any among us without sin yet we spend so much time judging and hating others! The Bible also says we should love our neighbors like we love ourselves. Now that’s an interesting thing to think about.
Hate can be driven out with love but we have to truly practice love. Not spend so much time pointing out each other’s differences or trying to prove anything about ourselves. Knock that chip off our shoulders and truly love the world! Stand united against the evils of this world, feed the hungry, help the poor, help the sick, just help our brothers and our sisters. Can we make a difference? You bet we can, but not divided. Nothing will be accomplished if we are divided! If you have been blessed in life, help those less fortunate, if you are intelligent, help those who may not be as intelligent, if you have food, donate food to those who don’t have any, if you’re healthy, find a way to give back to those who aren’t. Let’s bind together and be a light in this dark world!
I may not have all the wealth in the world, but I am healthy so I give blood. I have food so we give money to a food bank on all the major holidays to help others. I can change a light bulb or clean a window or anything else needed for my neighbors who can no longer do those things. No matter where you are in life, you have somebody you can make a difference for. I urge you to look around and see where you can make a difference! Your life will be blessed in the process and you will have made a difference and left a legacy! Try something for me today. Wherever you go, whoever you see, try smiling at every single person and see what happens! I promise you, you will make somebody’s day better!
With love for you all!
Shauna
Shauna's Sisters 