Mark 12:30-31 -” Love the Lord your God with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these,”
For the past couple of days we’ve talked about love. We know that God is love, and that he expressed the depth of that love by sacrificing his life for us. We also know that he has instructed us to love those that are less than kind to us. But, what about the people that look different? The ones that talk different? What about the ones who believe differently than we do? Are we called to love them, too? If so, how?
Yes, my friends. The answer is yes. We are called to love our neighbors and by neighbors, he is speaking of everyone. This was not a suggestion but rather a command. See, he created us all; therefore, we are to love each other without exception. There are no borders. That is, nothing should keep us from showing love and compassion to everyone. This includes skin color, dialect, religious/spiritual beliefs or lack there of, etc.
So, how can we begin to show love for others? This can be a tough one, I know. For me, I began by reminding myself of 2 things. First, he created EVERYONE. Second, he lives in us all. By doing this, I began to see that we are each a unique expression of him. This led me to appreciate the differences in us all and to actually find joy in that. I mean, can you imagine the world being a place where we all looked the same, talked the same, and believed the same? It would be so bland…so boring. Variation is a beautiful thing and something, I believe, that we should all embrace! Don’t you?
Do you struggle with showing love to others that are different than you? Or, have you been the recipient of such? How did it make you feel? What did you do to work through it? Please consider sharing your experience with me, if you feel led to do so. You can send me an email, leave a comment below or PM me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/thefaithfilledtraveler/. Otherwise, I’ll plan on seeing you there this afternoon and right back here tomorrow. Have a great Wednesday, everyone!
Warmest regards,
Salina Watson
The Faith Filled Traveler 