With the recent racially-motivated shooting in a church in South Carolina, the question of “How can we all love each other more regardless of race or skin color?” screams out for an answer.
There is too much hatred going around these days.
I find spiritual help in Paul’s admonition to look beyond physical distinctions to the inner reality of every person. Individuality is not to be defined by skin color, country, ethnic origin or past prejudices. Every child of God is equally worthy of love, respect and honor.
Paul wrote, “Words like Jewish and non-Jewish, religious and irreligious, insider and outsider, uncivilized and uncouth, slave and free, mean nothing. From now on everyone is defined by Christ, everyone is included in Christ” Colossians 3:11, MSG.
We are spiritual beings. We are made in the likeness of God. And God’s likeness is expressed in millions of different ways. One way is no better or less than another way. Each form of godliness is to be honored and cherished for what it is.
The mortal mind tries to classify God’s likeness in terms of white and black, Anglo-American and African-American, and then in its error compare. But the comparisons must drop. Instead of measuring a man’s worth according to physical, social or ethnic observations, we should be looking for Christ in everyone. It’s what we have in common in Christ that is significant, and what we share in Christ is all of God’s love.
God loves everyone without partiality. God’s love is not qualified in any way. It is universal and all-inclusive. It’s a model for us to follow in our relations with each other.
Dear Evan.
I love your last paragraph, it is useful to remember and apply in so many instances every day.
Yes, this is the message we all need to share to understand man’s relation to man better. And I agree with Sally that last sentence is powerful.
God does love all his children including the man with the gun. As heinous as his actions were and in order to feel safe, the “enemy”must be loved because God loves him.
The Charleston AME church members know this. Their love, grace and forgiveness are remarkable examples for us all. Aren’t we grateful for the Christ-Spirit that they’re living and proving that provides eternal comfort?
Many thanks, Evan, for your daily contributions that lift and inspire.
Thank you, Evan, for another very healing message on God’s universal family.
Thank you so much Evan! This is such an important and healing message for the world! Love the last paragraph too! So helpful to remember and prayerfully, watchfully, utilize in my daily living!
Isn’t interesting that Bees go to each flower to gather the POLLIN and then distribute it to other flowers regardless of the kind of flower? That’s what humans should do, distribute their Love to all humanity regardless of color Or ethnic origin. Love is expressed by every one and every thing. Automobiles expresses ease of travel. Radio, movies and TV expresses God’s communication to his creation. Astronomy expresses God’s infinitude.
Thank you for this gentle reminder. It is so tempting to hate the haters, but this is like pouring gasoline on a fire to put it out. Hatred is always based on fear. So as we are able to recognize the power of love and the innate worth of every individual expression of Christ, we begin to see the fulfillment of the Bible promise ” there is no fear in love for perfect love casts out fear.” This love also dissolves the claim of hate.
Thanks so much, Evan, for another very informative and inspiring message and to everyone sharing their comments. As Mary Baker Eddy states in Science and Health, “Divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need.” This includes hatred as well as all other needs.
Last week while doing some studying, I came across this citation that seemed to fit my prayers about the church shooting and helped to give me peace. It is from The First Church of Christ, Scientist and Miscellany, by Mary Baker Eddy, p 189:8. “You worship no distant deity, nor talk of unknown love. The silent prayers of our churches, resounding through the dim corridors of time, go forth in waves of sound, a diapason of heart-beats, vibrating from one pulpit to another and from one heart to another, till truth and love, commingling in one righteous prayer, shall encircle and cement the human race.”
Thank you Evan, for your inspirational ideas.
Thank you so very much Evan! Very inspiring and comforting!
And thank all of you for your loving comments.
These affirmations are ours to live and we do!
Mrs. Eddy wrote,
“Human hate has no legitimate mandate and no kingdom. Love is enthroned.”SH 454
So grateful for the truth and Truth.
Thank you, Evan, I was especially inspired by your statement that each form of godliness is to be honored and cherished for what it is.
Years ago, our church finally decided to send a representative to interchange with the ecumenical group of churches in our town. I was chosen to attend, and it happened to be a luncheon in the Methodist Church dinning hall. I happened to be the only woman among twelve men. Talk about feeling that I was on the hot seat, suddenly an associate pastor leaned over and whispered to me that he enjoyed the Christian Science Monitor we were sending to his church. Well, in a voice for all to hear, I thanked him for his appreciation of the CS Monitor and you could have heard a pin drop, with all eyes upon me. It broke the ice, and with each bite I was questioned: Why hasn’t your church been involved before this? It has been years. Gratefully, another question on top of the previous one: Why don’t you have pastors? Why doesn’t your church do weddings and funerals? There were more, and over desert I answered them all. It was a great day for our church out in the community. I know it felt like I grew an inch that afternoon. Also, at the annual Thanksgiving meeting, the day before the actual day, I was honored to be chosen to give the prayer. Afterwards, as we all stood in line saying goodbye, a church member asked me, “What do you do up there on the hill in your church? I immediately invited her to attend one of our services. Another said, “My dear, our church would never put a woman in the place you hold in your church. I commend your religion for making it happen!” As we love more and follow what Tobias said about the bees not being choosy, we must embrace mankind whenever the door opens for us to enter.
Thank you for this. Having been raised in Christian Science, I always knew your spiritual being was what was real, so I never understood racism. We are all the same, how we look isn’t who we are! Therefore it shouldn’t matter what race we were. I also didn’t understand homophobia- since we are all truly spiritual, we should be looking at the person and not the body they are in. Imagine my surprise when, returning to Christian Science as an adult, I found there was in fact discrimination against homosexuals! It even appeared in a periodical article not that long ago, by a prominent person in the church. Mary Baker Eddy talks about a time when we no longer are bound by our gender, and I am glad that unfortunate bias is now disappearing from our churches.