11-11-2023

Good Morning All,

           Deuteronomy 10:18; “He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing.”

     The singer James Taylor released a song in 1971 called “You’ve got a Friend.”  It is a song about the singer telling his friend that he could call him at any time.  It was supposed to convey a message of "a universal, sisterly/brotherly, agape-type love of one human being for another, regardless of gender.”  That is kind of a tall order, but it is one that you and I as Christians should be familiar with. 

     So, do you need a friend?  Can you be a friend?  That is always the question before believers.  It speaks to the second layer of being a Christian and that is “love your neighbor as yourself.”  Christianity does not occur in a vacuum, which was quite different from the other religions that existed at the time of Christ.  The Greeks, and by extension the Romans, had separated belief from ethics.  The Greek and Roman idols placed no type of ethical requirements on their worshippers; they simply wanted offerings.  It was from the philosophic thinkers that the idea of ethics was derived.  Judaism had deteriorated into a religion that only required ritualistic actions but no faith.  So, when the teachings of Christ connected our faith life and its relationship between God and man to man’s relationship with each other, some would think this was a new idea or teaching.

    In fact, this teaching is as old as Genesis.  It is part of what “being human” means.  From the very creation of Adam and Eve, “to be human” meant three things; to worship God, to take care of God’s creation and to take care of each other.  So, taking care of each other is an essential part of what makes us truly human.  This is how God designed us, but sin destroyed that.  Now, through the new life that we receive from Christ, we are “becoming human” again.  Instead of our desire being for our own selfish wants, God’s Spirit instills in us a desire to love for others.

    So, God calls us to live as humans, to care for each other, especially those who are in greatest need.  We see basic humanity as for all, not just the wealthy or the beautiful, but for all of God’s creatures.  It is the love that God showed us.  He loved us in our most broken and crushed days.  He continues to love us as the world and the devil continues to try and crush us and break us down.  He picks us up and cleans us off and comforts all our pain.  He provides for us with all that we need.  For this we thank and praise him.

     Yet God is making us human again, we love one another, we come to each other’s aid, and we comfort one another; most of the time.  Sin still rears its ugly head and causes us to hate and despise or to experience apathy and callousness.  Yet God Spirit keeps calling us back to him and back to being human.

Gracious Lord, in you we find our hope, our security, our humanity.  Help us to find and to keep our true humanity.  Help us to love and care for one another.  Be with those who are broken and hurt and in need of our compassion and move us to show that same compassion that you gave us.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret