Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe
yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear
with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one
another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on
love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Colossians 3:12-14
Salim Manayer who heads a significant reconciliation ministry in Israel
between Israeli believers and Palestinian believers tells this story in his
newsletter of learning about true love for others in the body of Christ during a
visit to Denmark:
I experienced something so beautiful. The love and acceptance of the Messiah
through the lives of the people who took me around, opened up their homes, took
me shopping, took care of me when I was sick and took time out of their busy
lives to drive me from one end of the country to the other. I was so moved by
their kindness, their hospitality, their compassion, their honesty and their
love. Through long country drives they shared and explained to me their
reasoning for various traditions and teachings.
And who were these people? Well, if you want to get technical they were
Lutherans. Lutherans who belong to the state church – many of them pastors. Yes,
we are different – I am an Israeli believer who does not hold to these
traditions, but we are called to love each other in spite of our differences.
Put all of these labels aside, these amazing people were my brothers and
sisters, they are my family because we belong to the family of God and they
embraced me as their family.
I was moved as I sat around the kitchen table drinking coffee after
confirmation class with one pastor and while eating apple crisp on Rosh Hashanah
with another pastor, attentively listening to them as they shared their passion
to see the lost people in their communities and parishes find God and believe in
him. It left an impression on my heart and encouraged and inspired me to reach
the people in my own community.
Sometimes stereotypes and prejudices are there in the back of your head and
you don’t realize it until God places those same people you held stereotypes
about in your face and they begin to show you the love God requires of his
children…
Maybe I was sent to Denmark to impress upon, encourage, challenge and impart
to the Danish believers to become reconcilers in their local communities; to
bless them and show them that it is possible to break down the walls of
bitterness and hatred, demolish their stereotypes and prejudices and to love
their brothers and sisters. And yet, that is exactly what they taught me.
RESPONSE: I commit this day to show true love to my brothers and sisters
breaking down prejudices.
PRAYER: Lord, I need Your help today to follow Your command to love all my
brothers and sisters.
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