We Can Get Along and Be Good Humans
June 29 – Can’t We All Just Get Along?

4:180 – Can’t We All Just Get Along?

#faithbites #faithjourney can’t

Setting

A friend of mine visited tonight and was wearing a shirt that was all about respecting differences and being a good human. It had one word: Human with each letter in a variety of colors representing different types of people. I told her it just boils doing to being a good human. She said something to the effect of if only everyone was.

That was very profound. What if we were all just good to each other. Back in 1992, Rodney King made the famous statement, Can’t We All Just Get Along? This reminded me of a conversation I had nearly 20 years ago with another friend. Her husband was going to the Middle East for work and she was scared. She said that they are blowing each other up over there. My response, which I would have said differently today, was “they’ve been blowing each other up for thousands of years”. I said that now and cringe as I know that’s not what I should have said and it’s not accurate. My point was, that conflict has been in that part of the world for millennia. What does this all mean?

We should love each other as we love ourselves. It’s also not easy to be selfless and truly love one another. Finally, there will always be people who need an enemy.

Today’s Questions: Even if the world can’t get along, what can we do to be a good person? How can we use our faith and God’s power, to spread love to everyone?

Scripture

1 Peter 3:8-12

Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing. 10 For the Scriptures say,

“If you want to enjoy life
    and see many happy days,
keep your tongue from speaking evil
    and your lips from telling lies.
11 Turn away from evil and do good.
    Search for peace, and work to maintain it.
12 The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right,
    and his ears are open to their prayers.
But the Lord turns his face
    against those who do evil.

Reflection

Jesus simplified the 10 commandments into just two: Love God and Love Your Neighbor as Yourself. Even in Peter’s time, people couldn’t apply that concept to their lives so he made it very specific.

  • Be of one mind
  • Sympathize with one another
  • Love each others as brothers and sister.
  • Be tenderhearted and keep a humble attitude
  • Don’t repay evil for evil
  • Don’t retaliate insults with people insult you.

He says that God has called us to do this and will grant his blessing. God tells us how to live but we don’t do it. When we should be nice to others, we share anger and hate. We try to see one person getting something as taking away from another. Often we make comparisons between two things just to have an adversary. It’s almost like we have to have an enemy to feel good about our self.

How do we become better humans, how do we share the love and forgiveness of the Risen Christ? Just by doing it. When we read the whole bible and know the whole story, our tongues are softer, our words more selected, and our hearts more open.

As we close, remember we are all human. We will make mistakes and not be kind. When that happens, we need to forgive, just as Christ forgave us. Imagine if we looked for opportunities to love on one another rather than to pick and divide. What a world that would be.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, please remove the word can’t from our vocabulary. Help us to stop thinking that being a good human is beyond our reach. Help us to look for opportunities to love, support, and nurture. Remove our need for an adversary. Remind us that your love is infinite and human rights are your rights. There is no end to your love, no limit to your forgiveness, and no shortage of space for all of your people. Your house has many rooms. Help us Lord to open those doors for all as we get closer to getting along and fulfilling your plan for us to live in communion with one another. We pray all of this in your name, Amen.

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