How many times do you find yourself seeing your world through the “me” and “them” lens? Think about the person or people against whom you are currently drawing a boundary. Now ask yourself, “What do we share in common? What pain do we both face?”
Here’s another way to approach it: When you read news, make the person in the story resemble you – your race, ethnicity, nationality, religion. Does it change how you feel?
It is not an overstatement to say that the future of this planet – our future – is dependent upon our individual and collective decisions. We are a hyper-connected society in which one isolated disruption can quickly ripple through the whole.
We can no longer afford to live in an artificially manufactured separation. It’s not sustainable and it’s not right. Scripture teaches: “Love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor…Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers” Romans 12:10. 13).
This message is excerpted from “Vegans and Jesus have a lot in common.” by Susan Sparks in the May 2020 Gather magazine.
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