Orlando and Unity

"Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word."- 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

I have stayed silent on the Orlando tragedy. My heart hurts. So much hatred and anger in this world, it makes me sad. So much pain and suffering within that causes people to turn to violence to let out their frustration.

The part I find to be the most disheartening is the fact that there are people who jumped on this event to propel their agendas to the forefront of the conversation.

Why?

All that does is create more division and more hatred for people on other sides.

We can’t just sit and be silent. We can’t mourn for the loss of lives. We can’t allow families to mourn. We have to use these sad events to move our opinions forward.

The reality is, we live in a world that is so broken that we work against ourselves. We all want peace and unity, yet we can’t respect the differing opinions of others. We claim we want to love each other; however, we place boundaries on that love. We will love each other, as long as it fits what we want to love. We will care about someone else’s needs as long as it fits our schedule or it fits where our personal feelings agree.

If we truly want peace, then be peaceful. That means, agree to disagree. That means, don’t join in hateful rhetoric and speech, but try to see the different side being represented.

If we truly want unity, then walk in unity. Put aside your social agenda and your desire to be right, but recognize there are some gray areas and we may not always be correct in our thinking. Embrace differences. Walk hand in hand with those who are not in your camp. Trust each other enough to believe there is good on both sides.

If we want love, then love. Look at each other as people of value. All of us have purpose and potential in this world. No matter what class, race, gender, identity, and/or religion and we need to see that. When we can look into the eyes of our neighbor and see a human being, no greater or less than ourselves, and we see a person of worth, then we can love. Love is achieved when personal bias and selfishness is set aside in order to put someone above our desires. This act of humility doesn’t make us less; it just means we are walking the walk that fits our talk. Love each other.

Hatred will always be around. Why? Unfortunately, because we are broken people. Humanity will always have people who choose hate over love, peace, and unity. However, perhaps, if those who cry out for love, peace, and unity truly start living it out, maybe hate will be overcome and peace will be received.

As a follower of Christ, my teacher and master, I am to live carrying the message of hope and peace. I am to spread love to the nations. I am to teach what He taught in regards to healing, mercy, grace, and truth. There is no one I should resist sharing the message with. No one is to be neglected.

Every time I see a Christian share an “anti-“ anything post, I instantly fear the gap that is being created with that particular group. How can we witness in a healthy way when we instantly tell people how horrible they are or what they deserve?

We know God is the ultimate judge. We are to love. We are to speak truth in love, not hate. Christ never created separation from groups, except for those who thought they had God all figured out. He called out the “holy” people and put them in their place. He walked into the lives of the broken, loved them, shared life, and guided them to a healthy connection with God by providing a new way of living. He gave life.

May we sincerely seek to love one another. May we sincerely seek to find compassion and empathy for each other. May we see beyond our side and recognize the human beings on the other side in order to bring unity to our world.

Peace and blessings friends.

QUESTION: How are you creating change and spreading good in the lives of others?