Lord of all nations, teach us that true peace begins with our love of you and finds fulfillment in our love of neighbor. Give us the courage to risk living and loving all your children so that our lives may be continual signs of your grace. Amen.
Being in the world means exactly that. We are called to be in the midst of the world. It is where we are to be. It is not, however, how we are to be. We are not "of the world." We are of Christ. We are to love God above everything and our neighbor as ourself. These are the things for which we have been set apart, things for which we have been made holy.
The world is obsessed with many things. It is obsessed with wealth and money, with power, with security, etc. etc. None of these things are what Jesus identified as essential to the kingdom of God. Jesus said love God more than anything including those things I just mentioned and love your neighbor as yourself.
Presently, there is a huge international refugee crisis involving people from Syria and the region. These are people caught between the fragile governments and tyrants of the region and the anarchists of ISIL/ISIS. These refugees include families fleeing in an attempt to save their future and hope for their children. People so desperate they are willing to risk dying at sea on overloaded boats and floats to avoid immediate threat of death.
This is the world we are in. How will we as the church respond? How will hold forth our calling to love our neighbor in fulfillment of our love of God? Are we willing to risk security for the sake of hospitality? Are we willing to share our resources however limited they may be because others have nothing? Are we willing to call our government to accountability for our part in the issues of the region? Or we will say we have done too much already and simply dismiss ourselves from any responsibility and any willingness to risk ourselves for others?
When asked to host 50 Syrian refugees 10,000 homes in Iceland committed to welcoming Syrian refugees into their midst. Pope Francis has challenged every parish in Europe to welcome a refugee family into their midst. U.S. recently had committed only to receiving 1,500. Can't we, also, do more?
Yes, most of the refugees are Muslim. Jesus welcomed encounters with many others of different faith and cultures like Samaritans and Syro-phoenicians. Yes, they are our neighbors, too. Yes, these refugees today come from an area of the world rife with hate for us and there is risk in that. Jesus welcomed the outcaste even breaking bread with them. Yes, they are our neighbors, too. Yes, the expense of aiding up to 6.5 million refugees is intimidating. Jesus taught the rich young ruler that giving away everything for the kingdom of God gains more than it loses. Yes, they are our neighbor, too. Yes, many of us are struggling as part of a diminishing Middle Class in America. Yes, they are our neighbors, too. Will we love our neighbor?
We are called to be in the world but not of it. Christ has died to set us free from death and the fear of dying so that being of Christ we can risk incredible things because every man, woman, and child is our neighbor. What are we to do?
Being in the world means exactly that. We are called to be in the midst of the world. It is where we are to be. It is not, however, how we are to be. We are not "of the world." We are of Christ. We are to love God above everything and our neighbor as ourself. These are the things for which we have been set apart, things for which we have been made holy.
The world is obsessed with many things. It is obsessed with wealth and money, with power, with security, etc. etc. None of these things are what Jesus identified as essential to the kingdom of God. Jesus said love God more than anything including those things I just mentioned and love your neighbor as yourself.
Presently, there is a huge international refugee crisis involving people from Syria and the region. These are people caught between the fragile governments and tyrants of the region and the anarchists of ISIL/ISIS. These refugees include families fleeing in an attempt to save their future and hope for their children. People so desperate they are willing to risk dying at sea on overloaded boats and floats to avoid immediate threat of death.
This is the world we are in. How will we as the church respond? How will hold forth our calling to love our neighbor in fulfillment of our love of God? Are we willing to risk security for the sake of hospitality? Are we willing to share our resources however limited they may be because others have nothing? Are we willing to call our government to accountability for our part in the issues of the region? Or we will say we have done too much already and simply dismiss ourselves from any responsibility and any willingness to risk ourselves for others?
When asked to host 50 Syrian refugees 10,000 homes in Iceland committed to welcoming Syrian refugees into their midst. Pope Francis has challenged every parish in Europe to welcome a refugee family into their midst. U.S. recently had committed only to receiving 1,500. Can't we, also, do more?
Yes, most of the refugees are Muslim. Jesus welcomed encounters with many others of different faith and cultures like Samaritans and Syro-phoenicians. Yes, they are our neighbors, too. Yes, these refugees today come from an area of the world rife with hate for us and there is risk in that. Jesus welcomed the outcaste even breaking bread with them. Yes, they are our neighbors, too. Yes, the expense of aiding up to 6.5 million refugees is intimidating. Jesus taught the rich young ruler that giving away everything for the kingdom of God gains more than it loses. Yes, they are our neighbor, too. Yes, many of us are struggling as part of a diminishing Middle Class in America. Yes, they are our neighbors, too. Will we love our neighbor?
We are called to be in the world but not of it. Christ has died to set us free from death and the fear of dying so that being of Christ we can risk incredible things because every man, woman, and child is our neighbor. What are we to do?
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