Love one another

As the church board members held a secret meeting before the service, the pastor was busy praying for his congregation in a small, overstuffed upstairs office. The hastily called board meeting was to address the color the new carpet, what the seat cushions for the new chairs should look like and how to keep  homeless people off church property. There was also some concern about the pastor’s recent sermons and his ability to lead the church.  Without much ado the impromptu elder meeting got started.

“We have to do something about these homeless people, they’re sleeping on church property and many of our beloved women don’t feel safe being around them” stated one of the deaconesses calmly but inside her heart was only rage towards these people who left cigarette butts and ashes all over the church property.

“When the new carpet gets installed we won’t be able to allow them inside the sanctuary anymore or they will soil the new carpet. You know they stink to high heaven and what if we have to let them use our bathrooms?” questioned one of the elders with a concerned look on his face. 

Meanwhile back in the sanctuary…

  “For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son…” the pastor recited the familiar verse from memory to a handful of people who came to worship God at the small community church.

He had preached this message many times before for over thirty years and had seen his fair share of heartbreaks, victories and an occasional miracle. The church attendance was always up on Easter and Christmas but usually during the rest of the year only a couple of rows out of the 250 seat capacity were being filled. 

Drops of perspiration began to bead up on his forehead which in turn fogged up his glasses making it hard to see anything. The pastor took off his glasses and began to speak from his heart as the Holy Spirit gave him the words to say. 

“We killed God. I mean God came down to earth in the form of Jesus Christ to teach us to love one another and what did we do? We killed Him! Well, maybe you could argue that it was the Jews who cried out for His death and it was the Romans who executed the death sentence of crucifixion on Him but make no mistake about it, we are all responsible for putting Jesus to death.” preached the pastor as all in attendance shifted in their seats just a bit as the truth of what he was saying hit home.

“The strange thing is that God isn’t angry with us. He’s not mad at us and He isn’t interested in punishing us, in fact, He only wants us to begin to trust, believing on the name of His Son for help. When Jesus came back to life after dying He took away the sting of death once and for all. Now we can all enjoy eternal life beginning right now while we are still in these earthly tents.” taught the pastor to a handful of people who were now listening very intently.

Forty-five minutes flew by then another hour as the pastor continued teaching from the word of God. He carefully explained to them how his job was to equip them to go out and tell others about the relationship that God desires to have with us. He explained how we are all ministers of God. He also described how they were all God’s hands and feet here on earth and how others would be drawn to God   only by the love that they saw and felt coming from them.

“People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care” said the pastor very plainly as he stepped down from the pulpit and began walking through the rows shaking hands and hugging people who stood to greet him. 

Jesus loves people. He loved to talk to people and listen to their stories. He always looked for the best in people and encouraged them whenever He could. He walked towards the leprous when others walked away in horror. He restored the sight to the blind and made the lame to walk when others had given up on them. He forgave sin and encouraged all to stay away from it.

How horrid it is if we allow new carpet to keep the sinner from getting right with God or deny the homeless food, water or use of a bathroom. Oh how Jesus lived to serve the community around Him, never letting material things keep Him from ministering to the poor, hungry or miss sharpened. He loved deeply and left us with just one great command that we too should love one another.