Bible Love Leading: “Hatred stirs up quarrels, but love makes up for all offenses.” (Proverbs 10:12)

God’s Love Leading: There is a story in the Bible that is often shared like a proverb about a man who stopped to help another dying man on the side of the road. The expression “do unto others’ has come from that story. The way the story goes two men walked by before a third man stopped. First a priest walked by and crossed the street when he saw the man. He was worried he would be contaminated by the bleeding man. He didn’t want to be “unclean.”

The next man was a Levite who also had his own religious protocol and didn’t want to inconvenience himself to help. The man who finally ended up stopping was a Samaritan. This man was from a different culture. He and his people were commonly discriminated against. He helped the man from the very people group who may have treated him poorly in the past. 

This ancient story sounds pretty familiar to the inequalities often shared by those who are discriminated against based on their race, gender or ability, today. I think we are faced with the opportunity the Samaritan was every day. We have the opportunity to stop and help those around us whether we agree with them, whether they have hurt us in the past or whether they are like us. It's not easy. The story of the good Samaritan was shared by Jesus when he was faced with the question “who is my neighbor.” Jesus answered by saying everyone is your neighbor. He further challenged his followers by taking the original command: love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind and added, love your neighbor as yourself.

Who is your neighbor? Take a few moments to meditate on this question today. There are neighbors who are easy to love and neighbors who are hard to love. Jesus calls us to love all our neighbors. I think that is why the scripture first states: Love God with all of who you are and then love your neighbor as yourself. Its hard to love others and we need God’s help to do it!

My Love Leading: Choose one act of love to show kindness to the most difficult neighbor in your life. 

Dear Lord,

I want to release my hate and carry peace. Help me honestly identifying who my most difficult neighbor is and give me the strength to show him/her love today.  

Amen