Anyone who claims to live in God’s light and hates a brother or sister is still in the dark. It’s the person who loves brother and sister who dwells in God’s light and doesn’t block the light from others. But whoever hates is still in the dark, stumbles around in the dark, doesn’t know which end is up, blinded by the darkness.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
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| My great-aunt Altha (left) and my maternal grandmother Loree - obviously on a family picnic. In the background is my paternal grandmother, Polly! |
If ever there were an applicable scripture passage for what is currently happening, this is it! I know that people have been disparaging one another for centuries…but with all of the media that is instantly available to us these days, we are far more aware of this – and much too numb to its effects.
We have become all too complacent with the darkness of hatred. You may think it is not only your right – but your DUTY – to speak out against people who observe other religions – or no religious belief at all. You may honestly believe that people who practice alternative lifestyles are sinners who live in immorality. You or someone you know and love may have had an unpleasant experience with a person from another race or ethnic or socioeconomic group, and now you feel justified in lumping everyone from that group together and judging them negatively.
You may be aggravated and disgusted with lazy people who won’t work and those who appear to always have their hand out…often at YOUR expense, if only inadvertently through your tax dollars and charitable gifts. And you may feel compelled to publicly express your disdain with these folks – even at the risk of including some who really are trying and cannot help their situation and need for assistance.
In each of these situations and circumstances…you may feel completely entitled to shed a little darkness. And in every one of them, you would be living a contradiction to your Christian faith. If we truly live in God’s light…we must step aside and let Him shine on every person…with no exceptions. When we start to criticize, berate, disparage…and yes, HATE someone else…we have effectively blocked God’s light and “blurred the photograph” of others’ lives. And God is heartbroken by this.
I cannot say this any more effectively than scripture…we cannot claim to live in God’s light and then create an atmosphere of darkness for others. We cannot say or do anything that might even suggest the impression of blocking His light from anyone else. We cannot discriminate, condemn, judge, insult, verbally abuse, and yes, HATE other people because they make us uncomfortable or we do not like their words and actions, for whatever reason. We cannot risk blocking God’s light. Conversely, we must do everything we can to allow His light to shine even more brightly on all people.
Let me be clear. I am not pleased in the least with a lot of people who are offering their opinions on a variety of subjects and situations these days. I do not approve of the venom that is being spewed by politicians…the hatred that is directed at so many people and groups. But insulting these people and trying to “shout them down” in some manner makes us just as bad in God’s eyes.
Jesus had the power and authority to do this, and yet, the times I can actually count in scripture where He lashed out at someone else are minimal. Instead He taught us to operate in love, compassion, grace, mercy, forgiveness…and yes, LIGHT! Jesus demonstrated how we must step aside and let God’s light shine on all people, so that the features and details are fully illuminated and clarified…and His glory can truly be illuminated.
Are we contributing to the darkness with our words and actions? Or are we positioned so that God’s glory and power shines brightly on others? My question for each of us today is…”Where are we standing?”
©2016 Debbie Robus
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