“ For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16, ESV)
Love, not hate! We see this sentiment expressed in social media and other places. It is well-meaning, but often short-sided. I fear that we have watered down the beauty of what love is. It has become more a slogan than a way of life. It is more about feelings of affection than taking action.
Love does! Love takes action. God so loved the world that he did something. He sent Jesus. He gave his Son for us.
Last week, on the anniversary of the Haiti earthquake, our President made headlines by reportedly calling Haiti and other countries “#$@&%*!hole countries.” It created outrage and uproar. Many of us were offended by what was said. He was quickly condemned as being racist and hateful.
But I fear we too often focus on what we stand against rather than what we stand for. We oppose what someone said against a people group. We pontificate and get on top of our soap-boxes. But we don’t do anything actually to help that people group. If that is indeed what the President said, it is wrong. But it is also wrong that so many of us have been given so much, but do so little. We should be careful of pointing the finger at others and not recognize the finger pointing right back at us.
If nothing else, the President’s words created a renewed awareness of the plight of Haiti. I’ve been to Haiti many times. It is not a pleasant place. There is #$@&%*! in the streets. Garbage is tossed wherever. There is extreme poverty. There is lack of education. There are disasters natural and unnatural. Many of us living comfortably in America cannot begin to imagine the desperation that often exists.
There is so much need in this world. Haiti and many other places need our help. We have a choice. We can choose to be offended by what someone said, or we can take action.
One of the ways we are taking action is by preparing meals for children in Haiti on June 2. Last June, we packaged more than 80,000 meals. We hope to add to that number this year. If you would like to help us out, you can donate. If you live in New Jersey or nearby, we would love for you to join us and help to serve as a volunteer on the day of the packing.
Whatever you perceive your role in God’s kingdom, let’s stop pridefully taking offense and start humbly serving. Let’s stop talking about love and start showing it.
Reflection
- How do you actively love others through action?
- How can you get involved in meeting the great need of others in this world?
Prayer
Thank you, Father, for loving me. Thank you for all that you do to show your love. You don’t just talk about love, but you take action. Forgive my inaction and hypocrisy. Give me a heart to serve others and to selflessly serve the needs of others. Amen.
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