Through the years, we’ve said it hundreds of times. “One nation, under God, indivisible…” Now, I wonder about those words. We live in times of division, anger, and even hatred. Part of this may have to do with some of us who call ourselves Christians.
If people today were asked to define Christians, some would answer, “Christians don’t believe in this and that, are arrogant and judgmental, and most are hypocrites.” What a way to be identified! But Jesus said, “By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). What a difference!
Many of us as believers have failed to be living by love. When that happens, we are drawing a completely different picture of Christianity! Could it be that much of our division today is due to the fact that we as Christians are not living by love? The apostle Paul wrote, “Together with these things, the most important part of your new life is to love each other. Love is what holds everything together in perfect unity” (Colossians 3:14, ERV).
We learned our task and the answer to the problem of division and anger years ago in Sunday school as we sang, “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine. Let it shine all the time, let it shine!”
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love (1 John 4:7-8). “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13).
Bruce Henderson is the pastor of Airport Road, Church of Christ, Carson City.
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