Why We Need To Love One Another More Than Ever
Why We Need To Love One Another More Than Ever
It has been a few weeks –time flies when you are having fun! How has your life been going; fast, slow or somewhere in-between? Grab yourself a hot drink in your favourite mug and I will wait for you at the kitchen table. My thoughts for today revolve around why we need to love one another more than ever.
Moving Quickly
We live in a world that is moving quickly. While we are moving quickly, our attention is pulled in numerous directions at one time. Not only that, we have easy and immediate access to so much more information. We hear/see everything that is going on around us in live time, often whether we want to or not. All this movement and information trains our minds and emotions to move quickly as well, in order to keep up. And we all know, that when our minds and emotions move quickly, some things get lost in translation.
We Are All Unique
In the past, many of us have lived in communities in which everyone was very similar. We grew comfortable being with those who were very much like us. We had little experience with those who looked different than us or thought differently than us. However, within those communities, there were different ways of being. Overall, we have been OK with that, chalking it up to the “uniqueness” of the individual.
We Are All Different
There has always been a level of uniqueness in our communities, however, because there have been so many similarities, our focus has been on being the same. Therefore we are comfortable. Now that the varying degrees of uniqueness among us are being highlighted, our focus has tended towards being different. And, unfortunately, feelings of being different often leads to feelings of discomfort.
Perception Is Everything
Perception is everything. When I perceive you to be different rather than unique it lends itself to feelings of dissimilarity which leads to discomfort. However, if I were to view you as unique, rather than different, I would better understand that we still have similarities, which maintains a level of comfort.
How does the speed our society is moving at, impact this conversation? When we are moving quickly, we are thinking quickly. When we are thinking quickly, our emotions kick in quickly. Quick emotions influence a quick perception of the people around us. Quick perceptions often get us into trouble. Although we have always been told that the “first impression” was the most important, I beg to differ. That “first impression” is often not a great indicator of that actual person, but rather a real reflection of our own biases and judgments. When we are moving and thinking quickly, we give our emotions permission to move to quick and often inaccurate perceptions.
So, What?
So, we find ourselves in a world that is moving quickly. Over time we have moved towards a focus that looks at differences rather than uniqueness, which has increased our levels of discomfort around the diversity in our communities. On top of those feelings of discomfort, because we are moving quickly, we often allow our emotions to take control of our perceptions of those around us; this only serves to reflect our biases and judgements rather than to give us accurate views of the people we are perceiving.
When we are running on discomfort and potentially inaccurate perceptions of others, generally, we are going to have a more negative view of those around us.
Jesus Said
As Christians, we are called to love those around us. All of those, not just the ones we have developed positive perceptions of. Second only to loving the Lord, is the command to love your neighbour as yourself.
“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ “This is the first and great commandment. “And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ “On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22: 36-40
(“Matthew 22:1 (NKJV) – And Jesus answered and spoke.” Blue Letter Bible. Web. 23 Oct 2019. https://www.blueletterbible.org/nkjv/mat/22/1/s_951001)
Loving Our Neighbour
In the midst of our discomfort with those around us who seem so different and our tendency towards quick perceptions of those around us, how do we follow the command of Jesus to love your neighbour as yourself?
Who Is Our Neighbour?
First of all, who is our neighbour? When the lawyer in Luke 10 questioned Jesus, asking “who is my neighbour?” Jesus responded with the story of the good Samaritan. The man on the road had been stripped and wounded and left half dead. The first two people to encounter him were people who were more similar to him, yet when they encountered him they went to the other side of the road and passed him by. The third man to come along was a Samaritan. He would have been considered to be very “different” from the man lying on the side of the road. And yet, this man stopped, had compassion on him, bandaged his wounds and took his somewhere where he paid for him to stay until he was recovered. From this, I understand that our neighbour, the one we are to have compassion on and to love, is even that one who is very “different” than us.
He Had Compassion
“And when he saw him, he had compassion.” Luke 10:33
(“Luke 10:1 (NKJV) – After these things the Lord.” Blue Letter Bible. Web. 23 Oct 2019. https://www.blueletterbible.org/nkjv/luk/10/1/s_983001)
This phrase really struck me when I was reading this passage. The Samaritan, when he saw his “neighbour” who was very “different” from himself, lying on the road, stripped and wounded, had compassion. I believe it was from that place of compassion that the Samaritan was able to slow down his thinking and his emotions. In doing so, his perception was changed from a focus of “different” to one of “uniqueness”. From that flowed the ability of the Samaritan to truly love his neighbour as Jesus had taught.
Why We Need To Love One Another More Than Ever
We live in a world filled with individuals that are unique. We also live in a world where many are full of fear and judgement because they have been lured into the lie that because we are all so “different” from one another we can’t make connections with those around us. But Jesus said, love your neighbour, that neighbour that is actually very different from you. The love he talked about was very practical; it required the Samaritan to stop and to give of his own time and resources. And it was driven by compassion. When the Samaritan saw the man, stripped and wounded and left on the road, compassion rose up within him. That compassion allowed for the demonstration of the love that Jesus not only talks about but also commands us to have for one another.
What I Know
This world can be an uncertain place. As Christians, we must be willing to declare our certainty in the love and salvation we have through Jesus, by allowing Jesus to demonstrate his love for others through us. This will begin to happen as we become aware of how our perceptions are formed and how biased they tend to be. It will also happen when we allow compassion to rise up within us for those around us. Once that compassion begins to rise, there will be no question about our willingness to go out of our way and to give of our time and our resources to care for those around us, regardless of how “different” they may seem from us.
Until Next Time
Well, it is that time again. My cup is empty and I have a “to-do” list to get to. I’m so happy you were able to take the time to sit at the kitchen table with me for a visit. I always enjoy our time together! Until next time, start slowing down your perceptions and begin to look for the uniqueness in those around you, rather than the differences. Love on someone this week; someone you would not normally think to love on. Take a step or two out of your comfort zone into your discomfort zone – in time you will see your comfort zone expanding in a most wonderful way.
If you are interested in more Devotional reading, head over to my Facebook Page where you will find a Weekly Devotion early every Monday morning. Click here to go directly to Weekly Devotions with Laurie.
Until next time,
From my heart to yours!
Laurie