A fun exercise is to take the words of Jesus and explain them in your own words. The words I used when I was 30 are not the same words I now use, 48 years later. Answer this Jesus question.
“Do you
understand what I have done for you? He asked them. “You call me ‘teacher’ and ‘Lord’ (Sir), and
rightly so, for that is what I am. Now
that I, your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one
another’s feet. Now that you know these
things, you will be blessed if you do them.” (The Gospel
of St. John, Chapter 13, verses 12b -15 & 17, TNIV)
The most
intimate relationship known to humankind should be between all believers in the
eternity message of Jesus. If one
believes, then that one has no earthly enemies, only a shared future to celebrate. Believers in the eternity message of Jesus
have no need to carve out kingdoms among men.
Religions carve up kingdoms because religion believes that eternity is for
me and not for thee, my way or the highway.
This is the spiritual disconnect of religion whose vision is largely fixed
on the stuff of this world, doctrine, budgets, buildings, ethical standards, membership
and cemeteries.
This is
where it gets uncomfortable, no earthly enemies? What about justice? If they are trying to kill you and yours, are
they not enemies? Mahatma Gandhi was a
lawyer by trade but was disillusioned with the lack of justice in the justice
systems of men. He was intrigued by the
words of Jesus in the Bible but was very unimpressed with the Christian religion.
Gandhi
figured it out, they may be killing me but I have no enemies! He would have said to them, “You know not what you do”. He stood up for justice and love for the
people who were trashed by the powers that be regardless of the personal
cost. This was the example he saw in
Jesus. Both men gladly entered into
eternity at the hands of religion.
G.Goslaw
Landers, CA
