When
tragedy happens we tend to blame the other guys- those with differing
religious, political or lifestyle views, but in reality, natural tragedies just
happen, and man made ones are a product of our sinful nature. There is only one answer or cure for
transforming this sinful nature and it is only found in Jesus Christ whose
redemptive work on the cross can break the bondage of our slavery to sin.
But we all, with our
face having been unveiled, having beheld the glory of the Lord as in a mirror,
are being changed into the same
image from glory to glory, even as by
the Lord Spirit. 2Cor. 3:18
So that if any one is
in Christ, that one is a new creature;
old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 2Cor. 5:17
Jesus answered them, Truly, truly, I say to you,
Whoever practices sin is the slave of sin.
…Therefore if the Son shall make you free, you shall be free
indeed. Jh. 8:34,36
Wait,
you say, ‘Christianity’ and other religions have killed millions throughout the
millennia. Yes, you are right about
that. Many have killed others in the
name of God, Jesus and the church, but hey, I could go out there and murder a
school full of children in your name
and that wouldn’t make it true that you wanted me to do that. I don’t know of one sanctioned war by God in
the New Testament under the new covenant in Jesus. (although protecting oneself and ‘fighting’
the enemy- the devil is spoken of briefly).
God
(Father, Son, Spirit) created all life and all men and finds value in each and
every person- male, female, elder, youth, Arab, Jew, Gentile, president,
indigent, factory worker, drunkard and homosexual. His love for all does not change. Mark 12:31
says, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” There is no one I know in their un-brainwashed and
mentally sound mind that would maim, stab, shoot or blow themselves up,
but all want to be treated with love, respect, dignity and treated as valuable. That is how we should treat others.
...but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better
than themselves. Do not let each man look upon his own things, but each man
also on the things of others. Php. 2:3,4
Let love be without hypocrisy, shrinking from evil,
cleaving to good; Rom. 12:9
Jesus loved, respected and treated with dignity and
respect:
Jh. 4- the Samaritan* woman
-even though
she was female (men didn’t speak to women in public)
-even though
she was immoral
-even though
she was Samaritan (*Jewish remnant mixed with other ethnicities conquered by
the Assyrians and resettled in Israel)
Jh. 8- the woman caught in adultery and the men/ hypocrites who brought her
to Jesus
Mr. 10- the children brought to Him
Mt. 15- a Canaanite/ Greek woman whose daughter was
possessed
Remember: Jesus rebuked Peter for using violence
against another human Mt. 26:52,53
For the Son of Man has not come
to destroy men's lives,
but to save.
Luke 9:56
We are not meant to destroy men’s lives!
We need to live like Jesus!