“It’s not about his character any more; it’s about yours. Simple as that.” – FB post
“Beware of any Christian movement that acts as though the world is full of enemies to be destroyed rather than full of neighbors to be loved. Beware of any Christian movement that demands the government be an instrument of God’s wrath but never a source of God’s mercy, generosity, or compassion.” – Jamie Sonderman
“The propagandist’s purpose is to make one set of people forget that certain other sets of people are human.” ― Aldous Huxley
The previous three quotes were on the pages of social media friends of mine last week after the election results came in. To me, they all remind us that we need to pray for this very divided nation. In my opinion, no longer are we just politically divided, we are divided by worldviews. And the propagandists among us have reinforced and exacerbated this division to the point that it is easy to forget that our command in this world is to love God and love others. So, we pray.
God of Love,
Thank you for the challenging example of Jesus who taught us to love each other and to love you. Thank you for his sometimes difficult teachings in this area that help us to see your heart of love for us. Help us to truly seek to know you, serve you, and love you as we interact with those around us. Today we intercede for this nation, again, begging you to pour out your Holy Spirit upon us within the Church to cause a revival and a reformation in your people. May we fully reflect the greatness of your Glory, even as we operate in your humility. Help us to be people of grace, hope, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, and self control. May we speak your truth in love, as we grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. We pray for a Great Awakening in this nation. We pray for a move of your Spirit that is undeniable, far reaching, and long lasting. May all hearts and minds in this nation – yes, Jesus, every single one – be drawn by your Love into your arms of mercy and grace so they know your salvation and hope in eternity. Diffuse all those who seek to stir up anger, distrust, disgust, and fear, both of other Christians and of other Americans. No matter the religion or worldview, we pray you would help us live in peace under the framework of our national and state Constitutions. Finish creating us into your image, pure and spotless, changed from glory to glory, and lost in wonder, love and praise to you, our Great God. We ask these things in Jesus’s name, AMEN.
Finish then, Thy new creation;
pure and spotless let us be;
let us see Thy great salvation
perfectly restored in Thee.
Changed from glory into glory,
till in heav’n we take our place,
till we cast our crowns before Thee,
lost in wonder, love, and praise. (“Love Divine, All Loves Excelling” by Charles Wesley)
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:36-40 NIV)
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23 NIV)
Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. (Ephesians 4:15 NIV)