Labels Or Love?
I saw him from afar. Feminine ways… small amount of makeup… and a piece of ladies clothing. As my wife saw tears in my eyes she asked what I was thinking. Not critique… but empathy. Worried about what he goes thru. The teasing. The hatred. The judgement. I prayed he would stay strong. Think deeply about the words of Christ. Let it sink in. “Love enemies and strangers more than you love your friends or family. Pay honor to those that persecute you.” Did not Paul say, in Acts, “All nations, all people, were made by God, and are in him. All people live and breath in his spirit and are his offspring. ALL PEOPLE! That means your enemies and your friends. That means all the people of Islam, Africa, Mexico, Russia, all people of America. We are asked to build bridges, not walls. As Christ hung on the cross, he was not only thinking of those that love him, but of every person that would ever live. Labels are not what he intended. “He’s conservative. I’m liberal. Those people are black. Those people are muslims. Is that person gay or straight?” When you look at the woodlands do you see a forest, or a tree? The forest is beautiful, but a single tree is a wonder from God. When I am in a crowd, I try not to see all the people, but the image of God in each person. When you learn to see beyond the label, and see the image of our Savior, love becomes a natural reflection of that.
Matthew 5:43-48
I Love You!
Perry