Day 136: Being of One Mind

"Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous."  1 Peter 3:8

Don't we need more of this today?

We live where we emphasize the self much more than the community.  We emphasize getting our way before we start thinking about everybody around us.  But that's not what we're called to by God.  Instead, we are called to build up communities.  We are called to live with love.

The interesting thing about the above command is that it implies that love is the way to be of one mind.  Things would be so much easier these days if everybody were with one mind.  One does not need to look far to understand what a privilege it is to have people of one mind.  Aside from a family (which itself might be divided), there are political parties that are doing just that - parting people.  In a party, people will side with one another in a concerted effort to demonize the 'other'.  That's not what we're called to do.

The good thing about this command is that it already gives us instructions on how to go about being of one mind.  We need to have compassion for one another.  We need to love as sisters and brothers.  We need to be tenderhearted.  We need to be courteous.  In other words, we need to be nice people.  That's it!  Just be nice to one another.  We have learned how to be nice to one another as children.  In fact, it is as we grew up that we started to learn about all the exceptions.  Be nice only to people who have the same color of skin as you do.  Be nice only to the people who like things exactly as you do.  Be nice only to those you find attractive.

Instead, we need to erase all those exceptions from our minds and start to unite as one community of love.  It doesn't take much effort.  We can pray and meditate and look through the bible for answers to questions that we feign, but the only way we'll accomplish this is if we actually do.  Do be nice to everyone.  Do love everyone as you did when you were a child.

Day 091: Overcoming Obstacles

"So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff.  Then passing through the midst of them, He went His way."  Luke 4:28-30

Imagine how frightening it would be to be led along a cliff by an angry mob dead set on throwing you off.  Imagine what a relief you would feel if you saw a way to walk through the crowd, like nothing, and go on your way.

Those are the things I think about when I read this passage.  It shows a stark contrast between the irrational, angry mob and the calm Jesus.  It also shows two important messages.  The first message is: watch whom you're following.  I would dare to say that many of the people who were in the mob were just people following their "leaders" in the synagogues.  These leaders were ones who preached against the light and against love.  Instead, they promoted hate, and they championed persecution as the only solution to any problem.  But the people who followed didn't seem to know what they were doing.  They must have been yelling and chanting whatever their leaders were shouting.  They obviously didn't do a great job with their gathering, for they missed Jesus entirely as he passed through them.  Sometimes, the people whom we follow are leading us straight up the cliff in such a convincing manner that we miss our savior, our salvation.

The second message is: there is always a way out of a troublesome situation.  When things get very tough, God has a way to make it through.  Jesus just did what he needed to do: he passed through the crowd.  They didn't notice him at all as he made his way through.  God is always making sure that we have a path to follow towards the light.  Jesus is moving through the many crowds of challenges that might be chasing us so that we can follow him to a better life.

We need to make sure that we are always following Jesus along his way, for his way is the way of love, of compassion, of mercy, of forgiveness.  His way is the right way.

Day 034: Following

"So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes.  And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him."  Matthew 20:34

Here's an example of where the blind were being led by one who is able to see.  However, after they are led, they also lead us, for they now see, and we, sometimes, are blind.

These two men called out to Jesus to have mercy, and Jesus had mercy.  But, the story doesn't end just there.  The men follow Jesus.  Jesus is working in our lives in so many different ways, but are we ready to follow him?

Probably something that we do is pray only whenever times seem to be very tough.  Sure, we do need God's grace to get us through difficult exams, tests, or events in our lives.  But, we are also supposed to praise God in our prayers and in our lives.  We need to give God credit.

Just think about the times that you've been at a restaurant.  The waiter is doing just what he needs to do, coming by to serve you, taking your order, giving you your food and drink.  Then, at the end, you find that the waiter wasn't anything super spectacular, but you still give him a 15% tip, since it is customary (if not impulsive because of their low wages).

Now think about God.  God has given you the job so that you can have money to spend at a restaurant.  God has given you the time to spend in that place.  God has even provided you with an environment where you can go anywhere with quite a degree of safety.  What does God get in return?

I know that I can't say that I give God everything.  I don't even think that I have enough to give God in return for all that God has done in my life.  Yet, I know that I need to follow.  Sure, God doesn't work as a worker for us, living on the wages that we give, but imagine this: if God can do so much for us when we are wandering away from God, how much more can God do when we are actively seeking God in all of our aspects of our lives?

God is the one who is walking by the streets, listening for our calls.  But, when God fulfills what we need, God continues to walk down the way to hear more of the cries.  Are we going to follow God along the way?  Are we going to serve God with our devotion to bringing God's kingdom on earth?

Day 021: Constancy

"Poverty humbles a man, but the hands of courageous men enrich others." Proverbs 10:4

Money is great.  It lets us buy the things we need and also the things we want.  We can use it to buy dinner at a decent fast casual restaurant and a lavish dessert from a world class bakery.  However, money is very fickle.  The banks grow and shrink, the stock market, even when tame, is capricious.  The job market (even if all the net sums show growth) is unstable.  Today you'll have a job and tomorrow you'll lose it.  Today you know the country has money saved up for you, but tomorrow you'll realize that you didn't fill out the right paperwork.

In today's society, to be poor is to be outcast.  Politicians will speak about the poor as if they are just a single pawn on a chess board.  They bunch all of those making money below a certain point as a single group of people that can be argued about rather than people who have lives and feelings.  Even worse, still, is those who were once rich but become poor.  In our society, we see that as a terrible form of humiliation.  Even in many churches, people will say that to be poor is to be at odds with God.  We assign value to people based off of how many slips of paper laced with linen they have or what a body of computers determines to be their worth.

Where is one to turn, then, if everybody makes fun of them for being poor?  That's where this proverb comes from.  It shows that money is something that is fickle.  Poverty happens!  The real value, though, comes from virtues, from wisdom, from courage.  This proverb calls us to be courageous and to reach out to those in need.  We are being called to enrich each other.

We've become so accustomed to putting others down based on their bank accounts or their clothes or houses or cars when we should really be building people up from their souls.  We are called to prepare the way of the Lord.  We can only do that by building each other up, by encouraging others, by paying into an economy of virtues.

Even though the global economies will see their growths and recessions, taking whatever lives with them, the economy of virtues, of mercy, of God's love, will only continue to grow.  When we take time to invest in our spiritual health, in our souls' growth, we will be enriched.  God's bank is right in front of us.  We just need to take a step into the doors so that we can grow from all that God has to give us.