The news is so full of stories about shootings, bombings, and many other crimes. Why would anyone want to be a teacher or police officer in these times? May God bless and protect those who teach and who try to protect us from danger. I think so much of the anarchy we see today comes from a lack of teaching in homes. Hatred is running rampant.
If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And He has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother. 1 John 4: 20-21 (NIV)
Have you noticed that many people who profess to be Christians promote racism? For me, these verses are clear. You cannot claim to be a Christian and hate other people. And there is no doubt that racism comes from hatred.
I saw a post containing two pictures. One picture showed a white egg and a brown egg. The next picture showed that the eggs had been cracked into a skillet. There was no way to tell which egg in the skillet had come from the white shell and which had come from the brown. Racism is completely ridiculous. What does the amount of pigment in your skin have to do with anything? The person you are is found on the inside–not in how dark or light your skin. You should not have to indicate race on any forms. The only place I can see where it might be helpful is in a doctor’s office where your background may make you more susceptible to certain conditions. Skin color does not determine intelligence or what you can achieve. If it does, then maybe you are allowing racism to control you.
I enjoy researching my ancestry. I took the Ancestry DNA test to determine my roots. I am proud of where my family came from, and I celebrate my roots. However, that doesn’t change the fact that I am and always have been an American. When we categorize ourselves into different subgroups such as African-American or Mexican-American, we continue to foster racism. We are Americans.
Bullying is another form of hatred. It is a hatred of people who are different.
The movie, “Wonder”, really spoke to me. A young boy with facial differences entering school and having to face bullying. More understanding and less bullying can make a big difference. I believe that many people deal with differences on the inside which are not necessarily visible on the outside. So few get the understanding and support they need. We all need to know that bullying is not okay. We all need to love, support, and care about each other.
Jesus said:
A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. John 13: 34-35 (NIV)
I remember a time when I was driving home in a snow storm (which doesn’t happen here very often). A normally 30-minute drive home from the doctor’s office took an hour and a half that day. The traffic was moving very slowly on the highway, and I passed 4 fender benders on the way. I was driving very cautiously. When the car in front of me tapped on its brakes, I tapped on mine. Then a truck pulled out and went around me very fast with the driver giving me the finger. I couldn’t believe it! I have no idea what I did to set that driver off. That poor driver must have been harboring a great deal of hatred.
So let’s love one another and care about one another. Caring for each other should also not be limited to those times when disaster strikes, like floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, bombings, shootings, etc. Caring should be every day–even in the little things.
We have two options–love or hate. We can’t choose both. Which one will you choose today?
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