Your Brother’s Keeper ~ Metered Responses

Greetings Dear Reader,

I witnessed an exchange between two adult brothers recently.  I will be a little vague but you will get the gist of the exchange.  The older brother did something that was not wrong but it bothered the younger one for valid reasons.  The younger, with more anger in his voice than intended launched verbally at the older one, “I need you to do this first,” he said.  “I wasn’t going to say anything the last two times but I need you to do it this way.”

The older brother listened and agreed to do as his younger brother required.  He did not argue or justify his position.  He listened quietly and I could see the hurt on his face that his brother would speak to him in that way.  He chose to meter his response with love instead of reacting to the hurt and disrespect.  He and I spoke about it later and he reminded me that listening to his brother is much more important than justifying his actions.  He said that it was a blessing to him that his first thought was compassion for his brother rather than defending himself.

It reminded me of the interaction that Jesus has when he is headed to Jerusalem:

Luke 9:51-56 (NASB)

 ⁵¹ When the days were approaching for His ascension, He was determined to go to Jerusalem; ⁵² and He sent messengers on ahead of Him, and they went and entered a village of the Samaritans to make arrangements for Him. ⁵³ But they did not receive Him, because He was traveling toward Jerusalem. ⁵⁴ When His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” ⁵⁵ But He turned and rebuked them, [and said, “You do not know what kind of spirit you are of; ⁵⁶ for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.”] And they went on to another village.

When his followers want to use destruction on those who reject Jesus, he responds with a rebuke to them.  We cannot be sure about what is said in the brackets because our oldest writings do not contain it.  What we are sure of is that calling down fire on those rejecting Jesus was worthy of a rebuke from him.  It is surely not keeping one’s brother.  It definitely not loving an enemy.  Too often we believe enough to be willing to call down fire but not enough to love those who oppose us.

No matter which side of the current tensions we land on, we are obligated to love our opposition with more faith than it takes to destroy them.  Imagine if with each story that offends us that we asked the Father to rain down love from heaven on the offenders.  We can practice responding to the attacks, insults, and outrage by asking the Father how we can show the love of Jesus to our “enemies”.  You see, Dear Reader, those people who stand against us are our brothers and sisters.  We must love them because we cannot follow Christ without this.  The journey is about loving others as the Father commanded and we must meter all of our responses to reflect this.  Christ-followers do not have permission to hate anyone.

A Voice for Peace – Dan Fogelberg

You know that everybody has a voice
And how they use it is their own free choice
In your glory, I will not rejoice
If you choose the ways of war
If you choose the ways of war

Ashes to ashes and dust to dust
My country 'tis of thee, in God we trust
But how much longer will He shelter us
While we choose the ways of war
While the winds of war rage on

Let mine "oh let my small voice" be a voice for peace
Oh let mine "oh let my small voice" be a voice for peace
Oh let mine "oh let my small voice" be a voice for peace
Let it start here with me, Oh let mine be a voice for peace

The good book tells us thou shalt not kill
The truth came shining and it's shining still
But how much blood upon this earth must spill
Before we lay our weapons down
Let us lay our weapons down

Let mine "oh let my small voice" be a voice for peace
Oh let mine "oh let my small voice" be a voice for peace
Oh let mine "oh let my small voice" be a voice for peace
Let it start here with me, Oh let mine be a voice for peace

And in the face of the beast, oh let mine be a voice
Until the breaths in me cease, oh let mine be a voice for peace

Let mine "oh let my small voice" be a voice for peace
Oh let mine "oh let my small voice" be a voice for peace
Oh let mine "oh let my small voice" be a voice for peace
Let it start here with me, Oh let mine be a voice for peace

Raise your voice up, raise your voice up
Raise your voice up and sing for the promise

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 homeowner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Every human story is part of the great story that leads to the Father getting everything back to Good.

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