IF – If we Follow the Great Commands

Greetings Dear Reader,

One of the things that I return to when there is trouble is the place Christ followers as supposed to land on every issue.  The commands are simple:

• Love God with all your heart, soul, and mind
• Love your neighbor
• Love your enemy

These simple commands are to be our guide in all we do in following Christ.  It is in these that we find the filter through which we interpret all other things.  Here is the problem.  We do not apply this vital truth to all that we undertake.

The simple two-sided coin is whether we respond to every situation in love or not.  Any insult, affront, or slight can be met with love.  Any situation can be responded to with love.  We choose.

Now the great “IF” here is the change that could be wrought if Christ followers responded as one with love to EVERY situation.  No matter what I think personally about any social issue I must respond to the needs surrounding it with love.  No matter where I land on any moral debate I must respond to the situation in love.  No matter what my politics I must treat the opposition with love.

Let that settle in for a moment.  As a Christ follower everyone may ask me the same question in every action:  “Where is the love?”   If I cannot show it then it may not be there.  Jesus made it clear, “Everyone will know that you are my disciples because of your love for each other.”

The big IF I posit is what the world would look like if every individual who claims to follow Christ put this forward is his or her benchmark.  Imagine the impact IF we approached every social and political conversation with love.  In every situation, anyone who claims Christ should not have to answer the question.  It should be obvious where the love is.  On this should rest every other discussion.

Where is the Love – Black Eyed Peas

What's wrong with the world, mama

People livin' like they ain't got no mamas

I think the whole world addicted to the drama

Only attracted to things that'll bring you trauma

Overseas, yeah, we try to stop terrorism

But we still got terrorists here livin'

In the USA, the big CIA

The Bloods and the Crips and the KKK

But if you only have love for your own race

Then you only leave space to discriminate

And to discriminate only generates hate

And when you hate then you're bound to get irate, yeah

Madness is what you demonstrate

And that's exactly how anger works and operates

Man, you gotta have love just to set it straight

Take control of your mind and meditate

Let your soul gravitate to the love, y'all, y'all

People killin', people dyin'

Children hurt and you hear them cryin'

Can you practice what you preach?

Or would you turn the other cheek?

Father, Father, Father help us

Send some guidance from above

'Cause people got me, got me questionin'

Where is the love (Love)

Where is the love (The love) [2x]

Where is the love, the love, the love

It just ain't the same, old ways have changed

New days are strange, is the world insane?

If love and peace are so strong

Why are there pieces of love that don't belong?

Nations droppin' bombs

Chemical gasses fillin' lungs of little ones

With ongoin' sufferin' as the youth die young

So ask yourself is the lovin' really gone

So I could ask myself really what is goin' wrong

In this world that we livin' in people keep on givin' in

Makin' wrong decisions, only visions of them dividends

Not respectin' each other, deny thy brother

A war is goin' on but the reason's undercover

The truth is kept secret, it's swept under the rug

If you never know truth then you never know love

Where's the love, y'all, come on (I don't know)

Where's the truth, y'all, come on (I don't know)

Where's the love, y'all

People killin', people dyin'

Children hurt and you hear them cryin'

Can you practice what you preach?

Or would you turn the other cheek?

Father, Father, Father help us

Send some guidance from above

'Cause people got me, got me questionin'

Where is the love (Love)

Where is the love (The love)? [6x]

Where is the love, the love, the love?

I feel the weight of the world on my shoulder

As I'm gettin' older, y'all, people gets colder

Most of us only care about money makin'

Selfishness got us followin' the wrong direction

Wrong information always shown by the media

Negative images is the main criteria

Infecting the young minds faster than bacteria

Kids wanna act like what they see in the cinema

Yo', whatever happened to the values of humanity

Whatever happened to the fairness and equality

Instead of spreading love we're spreading animosity

Lack of understanding, leading us away from unity

That's the reason why sometimes I'm feelin' under

That's the reason why sometimes I'm feelin' down

There's no wonder why sometimes I'm feelin' under

Gotta keep my faith alive 'til love is found

Now ask yourself

Where is the love? [4x]

Father, Father, Father, help us

Send some guidance from above

'Cause people got me, got me questionin'

Where is the love?

Sing with me y'all:

One world, one world (We only got)

One world, one world (That's all we got)

One world, one world

And something's wrong with it (Yeah)

Something's wrong with it (Yeah)

Something's wrong with the wo-wo-world, yeah

We only got

(One world, one world)

That's all we got

(One world, one world)

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

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