Saturday, December 15, 2001
"The Spirit of Following Jesus"
"No one has ever seen God, but if we love one another,
God lives in union with us and God's love is made complete in
us." I John 4:12
Loving one another means paying attention
to one another: - family - neighbors - friends - strangers -
even our enemies. We do not always want to do so! Praying for
God to open our hearts and minds may be the first step to listening,
hearing and caring; reading to understand and working on behalf
of people, groups, and organizations that need our support to
stay alive.
All of us have practical reasons to build better relations in
our families, communities, and with all people of the earth:
"If we do not learn to live together, we will surely perish
together."
Followers of Jesus share with others of Biblical
identity and experience - Jews and Muslims - faith reasons to
work for love-justice-peace: it is in our working that you and
I see God and know God and experience the fullness of God's presence
and power in our lives!
Because the work of loving ourselves and others is so difficult,
and the list of injustices so long and the path to peace so hard
to see - harder still to follow, Ronice Branding offers us counsel:
1) Be aware of our motivation. Guilt or trying
to please others may suffice for a while, but they won't sustain
us for the long haul. Both motives are based in fear...rather
than in love of people, truth, and justice. Motives of guilt
and "pleasing others" are a contradiction to peacemaking.
2) Select deeds that feel right. No person is called to do everything.
We are called to live in faithfulness and that includes making
sure our deeds are integrated with our feelings. Wholeness is
a value of peacemaking.
3) If action makes you afraid, examine the source of your fear.
When you find what and where your fear is, you may discover ways
to put it to rest.
4) Wherever possible, act in community with those who share your
concerns and are supportive.
5) Keep balance in your life - acting and reflecting; speaking
and silence; doing and being, working and playing; seriousness
and laughter. Even Jesus withdrew from people to pray. (Matthew
14)
6) Try new ventures; step out in faith. You will not be alone.
God strengthens those who ask!
Myron Talcott
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