May You Be Blessed

As the world celebrates the coming of the Messiah to this world, may His presence in your life give you His Peace, and let His Love be shown in the goodwill you exhibit towards all men in the coming year.

WWJD?

First, a disclaimer: These are NOT my images. They are images I 'borrowed' from Facebook posts by others.  Secondly, maybe I need to apologize to those whom I will offend with this post. I do not want to be offensive, but I have been so sorely offended, and saddened, by some I feel I should expect better of... and I know I can also be in the wrong on some things. But this time, I have prayed hard, and I have asked many times 'What Would Jesus Do?' and the answer always comes back the same.

Jesus told us the Greatest Command, the ONLY command, other than to love Him, is to love others. Even to love our enemies. To have compassion for the needs of those who come into our sphere. He taught this lesson by example and by parable and by direct command. He couldn't have been clearer on this point.

I mentioned Facebook. Social media brings a lot of people into our sphere who wouldn't have been there in times past. It also makes the motives and convictions of those whom we thought we knew more apparent. Since the recent attacks on Paris, an event which saddened us all, I have been amazed by posts on Facebook. What has amazed me most are the posts, such as those above, from some who do not claim to be Christians, reminding those who DO claim that relationship of how they should be behaving towards refugees. Similar posts have popped up recently regarding other 'political' topics. So-called Christians are taking stances that shame the teachings of Christ, because they have lost their compassion, they have forgotten to love. Is not compassion a Christian virtue anymore? Was not Christ, above all, compassionate? Is His compassion not what led Him to the cross? Surely He weeps at the hardened hearts of those who claim to follow Him, but who have lost their compassion and love for others. Safety was never Christ's first concern; compassion was, even for those who killed Him:  'Father, forgive them...'

I see  the claim of 'Christian' in America becoming more of a political stance than a conviction of the heart, than of a claim of a relationship with our loving God, and our compassionate Savior. As a Christian (though not 'politically') I am shamed by this. Our hypocrisy is showing, my dear brothers and sisters. Maybe it is time again, like the bracelet slogan of several decades ago, to ask ourselves, 'What would Jesus do?'