7-28-2022

Good Morning!    

        Matthew 28:20; ^“Teach them to do everything I have commanded you. “And remember that I am always with you until the end of time.”

    “All by myself, Don't wanna be, all by myself anymore, All by myself, Don't wanna live, all by myself anymore.”  That is the chorus to an old pop song by Eric Carmen.  He sang about having no one to turn to no one to talk to.  He was living his life all alone.  He felt empty, lost, and isolated.  This is a common expression of many people.

    A couple weeks ago, while in a bookstore, I saw an anthology of some love poems.  One was very bittersweet.  The author (a male) was writing to his wife or girlfriend.  The title was “When you don’t say ‘I love you’”.  He lamented the apparent indifference of his partner.  He felt empty, lost, and isolated.  He wrote of being “afloat in a sea of indifference” and “living in darkness with no light of her love.”  At times it was corny, but you almost got the impression that the writer just sat down and wrote the poem as the emotion poured out.  He was at an emotional loss.

     This can be a fear for many people.  Loneliness is one of man’s greatest fears.  We are by God’s design social creatures.  We long for and seek out companionship.  We long for and seek out love.  This is why ambivalence can cause so much pain.  We know love; we know hate, but we struggle with indifference.  It is that indifference that that can cause loneliness.  Yet even when we feel all alone, we never are.

    Jesus is always with us.  It is the devil and the sinful world that wants you to feel all alone.  Yet, just as God gave us these relationships to help us live the life that he gives us; he also wants us to nurture those relationships.  By doing this, we encourage each other.  We strengthen them according to God’s plan.  Jesus is with us, and he uses His Word, His Sacraments and His redeemed children to be with us.  He uses others to comfort and console us; he uses others to bring us his love.

    But sometimes, Jesus uses US to bring this comfort to someone else.  Sometimes you are the helped and sometimes you are the helper.  We need to see this clearly.  God entrusts to us His Spirit and thus entrusts us to do his work here on earth.  So, God desires that you and I give comfort to our brothers and sisters in Christ but especially to our blood family and to our spouses.  Our blood family and spouses are the truly special gifts that God gives to us.  So, we need to be especially sure to show them the love that we have for them.  So be sure this day and each day to express your love for your family; by doing so you express Jesus’ love to them.

Dear Father, too often we fail to express our love for our family.  We fail to bring Christ to each other and in doing so some feel lost and alone.  Give us the strength to fulfill your desire that all know your love.  Be with those who are especially troubled at this time and send your Spirit to those around them to bring your love to them.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret