People part 2
God and people. The more I think about it, the more I come to the conclusion that those are the two most important things in the universe. Because they are both love. God is love, and people are His expression of love. Now don't get me wrong, I know the earth itself is important. It's our home, and we need to take care of it. What I'm really trying to focus in on in this Rant series is the value we put on each other. Because a lot of the time it seems like we are willing to crush each other. We're willing to step on people in order to get ourselves higher. And we're willing to sacrifice people in order to "be right" about an issue. We seem to forget how important people are. I think this quote is from the Talmud, "And whoever saves a life, it is considered as if he saved an entire world." Now that's what I'm talking about! Because sometimes I feel like all I can do is affect one person. Sometimes I don't feel like I'm doing all that much. BUT if the person I affect then goes on to affect someone else... and on and on and on. AND, I may not be changing THE world, but sometimes it's enough to change HIS world. I know there are a lot of people on this planet. Something like 6 or 7 billion, right? And I know my sphere of influence is pretty small. But here's the thing about a small circle-- it's strong. When you really get in there with someone you can connect on a level that the faceless masses might not be able to. Jesus had 12 disciples, right? He ministered to everyone He came into contact with, but He really poured Himself into a dozen men. And not the type of men you might have expected Him to pick either. Fishermen (fishers OF men). Blue collar workers. Regular guys. Because Jesus understood that the world is made up of regular people. Even Paul found that he had to really struggle sometimes to meet people on their level, because Paul was a very, very smart man. Which is why he wrote about being all things to all people. Finding that connection. That common ground. Not making the Gospel (the good news that Daddy loves us and has reconciled us to Himself through the cross) too difficult. And not letting "issues" get in the way. (Unless you count that whole spat about circumcision, but we're all human, right?) My point is, if you'd rather be right then kind, you may be wrong. Jesus said it like this, "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone" (Matthew 23:23). See, there are issues... and there are the ways we deal with people. One group is weightier than the other. And in the Bible glory means weight. So one of these groups is more glorious than the other. More important. It's like the age-old question, "What good is it to have everything in the world and no one to share it with?" Things are better when they are shared. Because it's not good for man to be alone. Because we're supposed to be connected together. And the only thing that CAN connect us together is love. The deep calling out to the deep. God expressing His love FOR people THROUGH people. Making other people a priority, and SHOWING them the more excellent way of love. And that's exactly where I want to go tomorrow, so that's where I'll leave it today!