Eastertide
May 7, 2015
Scripture Reading: 1 John 5:1-6
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the parent loves the child. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. –1 John 5:1-6
I believe that everyone is a child of God because all were created in the image of God. Is there a difference in being created by God and being born of God? What does the sentence mean, everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God? Is it simply saying that through our relationship we actually know and can celebrate that we are children of God? And what about the second item, everyone who loves the parent loves the child? Does that mean that we love all of God’s children or just the ones who believe that Jesus is the Christ? All indications from Jesus the Christ is that he expects us to love all of God’s children—love them enough to introduce those who do not know him to him through our word and our deeds.
These great theological questions are being discussed and debated throughout Christendom but they were not the first thought that cross my mind today as I read this scripture. While I enjoy a deep theological discussion at times, I usually end up reading scripture as it relates to the practice of faith. As we proclaim loudly that we love God we do not demonstrate well our love for all God’s children. How can we abide living one more day in a world where children are trafficked as slaves or worse as pawns in the sex-trade industry? How can we not respond to reports that children growing up in some of our own cities are already counted as lost to success because of the culture in their communities*? How can we send the parents of young children to prison for non-violent crimes when their lives might be turned around with community based services not only allowing parents to care for their own children, but hopefully shutting down the pipeline to prison for their offspring? How can we let hundreds of thousands of children die each year because their water is not safe**?
‘Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? –Luke 15:4
Prayer: Lord, it is good to study your word, but help us not only study it but understand it and live it in ways that are pleasing to you. Amen.
*http://www.iasc-culture.org/research_thriving_cities.php
** http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs330/en/
All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.