Last night, I was sort of watching television with my husband while also skimming Facebook. Since I usually choose to not read things I see on Facebook except when I see something from people I trust, I had to ask my husband if there has been a problem with Nazis in America. I've seen posts here and there that friends have posted with pictures of Nazis from time to time and just shook my head about it. I wasn't really dismissing the problem so much as skeptical about it. I have friends who argue things on Facebook or post things about what they do not know and so I thought that maybe those re-postings were an act of ignorance and believing in something that someone else fudged with.
My husband briefly told me about what happened in Charlottesville. Oh My! How stupid can people get? Seriously? I'm beginning to think that maybe, what this world needs is for everyone to take a breath and just think about what good will come from their protests? I understand the need to express our anger about the injustices that a race receives. What is wrong with believing that All LIVES matter?
In the Good News Translation of the Bible, 1 Peter 3:18 says For Christ died for sins once and for all, a good man on behalf of sinners, in order to lead you to God. He was put to death physically, but made alive spiritually. It doesn't say that Christ died for white man. It doesn't even say that he died for another race. It said that he died on behalf of sinners. That includes all men and women. Anyone who says that they are protesting against another on behalf of God is a lunatic and is doing it for their own selfish reasons and not God's. The NIV says in 1 John 2:2- He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. He didn't die for just the Jews, but also for the Gentiles which were classified as anyone else who weren't Jews or also described as outsiders. This shows again that God is for all races. Then there is this verse: John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. Then in verse 17: For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.
It seems to me that if anyone who truly believed that God had chosen a supreme race, they have not read the Word. To God, we are all his children and we should all treat each other with respect despite out race and what we believe to be right.
Luke 10:25-37New International Version (NIV)
26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”
27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’[a]; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b]”
28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii[c] and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
There isn't any wiggle room if you claim to be a Christian or to believe in God to argue that condemning a black person, white person, or any other race is ok! Yes, we are all created differently, but we are also all created in God's image! NIV Genesis 1:27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.To say that anyone else is less of a person is to say that God made a mistake and God makes no mistakes.
So I became political. I won't apologize for it, but I will leave you with my favorite verse, although when I learned it, it used the word "entertain" instead of "hospitality". Hebrews 13:1-2 Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. 2 Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.
If that didn't work for you, how about we all just stick to the golden rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
The Parable of the Good Samaritan
25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”
27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’[a]; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b]”
28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii[c] and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
There isn't any wiggle room if you claim to be a Christian or to believe in God to argue that condemning a black person, white person, or any other race is ok! Yes, we are all created differently, but we are also all created in God's image! NIV Genesis 1:27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.To say that anyone else is less of a person is to say that God made a mistake and God makes no mistakes.
So I became political. I won't apologize for it, but I will leave you with my favorite verse, although when I learned it, it used the word "entertain" instead of "hospitality". Hebrews 13:1-2 Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. 2 Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.
If that didn't work for you, how about we all just stick to the golden rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
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