Our Pastor gave another very provocative sermon Sunday about a subject that I once thought irrelevant to me or to most other Christians in the U.S. The sermon was in reference to Jesus telling the disciples people will "hate you because of me."
Persecution of Christians only happens now in certain countries or areas with no tolerance to our religion, right? But the Pastor explained this a little differently, and one to which I could now relate. It references how we see things, what we do, and how we act. And sometimes, that does get us into trouble. It doesn't mean consequences of martyrdom by any means, but there can still be a negative response.
Pastor Brian's point was simply that, unfavorable responses aside, we should still do what is right regardless of
how others see us or disagree. And, yes, I have to admit there are times
when that's gotten me those unfavorable responses from others. I suspect that
can be said for many of us.
Even other Christians disagree about how we should act and what we should believe. Just look at the derision during and after the last presidential campaign. Everything centers on understanding what it means to follow Jesus, and it's a little spooky and unsettling to me to see how that differs among members of our own religion. In the end, I think that Jesus' commandment to love one another surpasses all else.
As my personal faith deepens, I do things differently than I once did, and I see priorities differently too. It's not so much about me anymore, what I want, or personal preference in relating to others. I see Jesus' commandment as mainly twofold: Trying not to purposely hurt other people (which I may inadvertently do because all humans fail); and focusing on kindness and need. I'm far from perfect in doing any of that, but I'm going to keep trying to do the right thing as Pastor Brian said.
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