Leviticus 19:34 "The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God."
Christmas comes. We seem to pause. Christmas goes. Then in mere hours we are back at it. "At least 32 people were killed and 90 wounded in two bomb explosions in Homs, Syrian."
We talk of the power of words. Here is a word for you: religious. Religious violence is an oxymoron. The Bible defines and refines the word. Religion is pure and undefiled before God, the Father. It is to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world. Where is the violence, murder or bombing or the need to terminate life in any of this. Pure Religion brings life and is behaviour shaped and flowing from "love the other as you love yourself."
What would the world look like if we really did for the other all the generous things we do for our self?
The reaction of a world separated from God to Jesus never changes. We think the world is more advanced, enlightened and civilized yet in our heart the people's response has remained constant. Herod "became enraged. He sent men to kill all the children in Bethlehem and throughout the surrounding region from the age of two and under." We want to demonize Herod and push him aside as if we would never be like him ... yet the number of young lives extinguished in the civilized west alone since Christmas far out numbers the Bethlehem massacre of innocence that we remember today.
When will we ever learn? When?
Matthew 5:43-47 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor’ and ‘hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be like your Father in heaven ... For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Even the sinners do the same, don’t they? And if you only greet your brothers, what more do you do? Even the Gentiles do the same, don’t they?"
