Why Church ~ Social Embracing

Greetings Dear Reader, 

There are markers that I use to evaluate a local church and its commitment to love.  One of them is if they are expressing love both vertically and horizontally.  If a congregation of believers is not loving the Father, then they will not be loving each other well.  If I cannot see their love for each other then I do not know how to see their love for the Father. 

It takes more time to discover the temperature of their social embracing outside the church walls.   If the church is not impacting the community at a social level in a loving way, there are difficulties.  The church in general has relegated most of its social responsibility to local and federal government.  The social welfare of people is the primary responsibility of believers.  There is no honest way around this.  Jesus said he knew those who cared for the sick and the hungry; those who visited the captives.  His brother, James told us that we must care for widows and orphans and hold to high moral standards.  

Nowhere are we told the judge and condemn those who are not this way.  Rather, we are required to lovingly restore them to wholeness.  If we do not care for our community by embracing its social needs, we cannot expect them to see the depth to which the Father loves them.  Further, I must be careful to show that same love to every human I encounter.  I must do so in hope that my clouded mirror can reflect a glimpse of Christ for them. 

The church cannot say that it is obeying Christ if it is not caring for the community around it.  There is never a stopping place.  We should be so good at it that other programs should be unnecessary.  We should be so committed to it that denominational lines will evaporate as we work together to care for others. 

We have failed greatly here and we have much to do to reclaim the reputation that Christ deserves when others see his followers.  If you are thinking about the things you do that are good right now, Dear Reader, it is not enough.  I do the same thing and must realize that until we are known by our love then we are failing.  Until the reports are not about what we hate, but how we help, we are failing.  I long to know what you think about this.  In a time of social distancing, we must up our impact of social embracing. 

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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If the church does not embrace the social needs of its community, it is failing.