Immediately my mind went to John's letter to the early church. He basically asks the question: "How can we love God whom we have not seen, and hate our brother whom we have seen?" That's some heavy stuff. We worship an invisible God. We give ourselves to Him. We love and adore Him. We give money in His name. And...yet...there are those all around us each and every day, people made in His image and likeness, that we neglect. What if mankind was our business? What if benevolence, charity, forgiveness, and mercy where the major players in our lives?
When Jesus was asked about the greatest commandment. His response was very simple. In a nutshell: Love God - Love Others. He linked the great thrust of the 10 Commandments. He placed equal value between our love for our Father and love for our fellow man. A radical shift in the way the religious mindset operates. In religion we feel justified in holding contempt toward others. We feel righteous in our judgement. Confident that our separation from the world gives us the right to treat people as we please. Jesus, on the other hand, would disagree. He would say that our love for God is proven through our love for our fellow man. To love one another is the very thing that proves to the world that we really are His disciples. That we would turn our affections for our Heavenly Father into service towards our brothers and sisters. Think about it. When Jesus talks about those positioned at his right and hand and his left, he speaks of those who neglected to provide food when He was hungry, refreshment when He was thirsty, shelter when He was a stranger, clothing when He was naked, care when He was sick, and/or companionship when He was suffering. When they asked when this took place He replied, "When you did it not, to least of these My brethren, you did it not unto Me."
Please understand where I am coming from. I'm not saying that your acts of kindness/service are what gives you merit before the Father. What I am saying is that they demonstrate to the Father that you are walking in the same love that He walked in with us. That we are willing to immerse ourselves into the lives of others. To give without expecting anything in return. To love the "unlovable", to show mercy, and compassion. That we will hear the cries of the desperate, meet the needs of the impoverished, and share of our resources. This is not something that is simply regulated to the rich. Many of the disciples within the early church did not have great possessions. They simply shared what they had, having all things in common.
At the end of the day, what we do in our trades/vocations is of little consequence compared with what we do in the business of mankind. Of course we have the ability to make comfortable lives for ourselves and our families. We have the means to acquire more. We can possess the houses, the vehicles, and the goods that our economy offers. The question remains whether or not we will share the harvest that we have received. Will we take some of the comfort that we have received to comfort others? We will provide a helping hand? We will come alongside the hurting?
As Scrooge watches Marley's spirit disappear in the darkness, he sees others who are in chains themselves. Varying degrees of weights based upon the person who forged them. He heard one of the spirits cry out because he was unable to help a young lady with a toddler below him. So much remorse and regret. So much pain because they didn't take the time to do something that was so simple in this life. And it really is simple.
Personally, I'm grateful that our Father has made it so simple. "Do justly (what is right), love mercy, and walk humbly with your God." He's not looking for grand expressions. It doesn't even have to be seen from the masses. In fact, Jesus taught us that it was better if it was done in secret because that is when we are rewarded openly. No, the reality is that there is an estimated 7.? billion people on this blue/green globe. All made in the image and likeness of our Heavenly Father. All with various needs. Some people are just looking for a friend. Some need financial assistance. Others need someone who can help cut the grass, rake leaves, cut firewood. Many just need a shoulder to lean on and someone to talk to. I'm not here to prescribe the method. I'm simply here to say that we need to open our eyes to the people around us. As we look to our Heavenly Father for wisdom, provision, and guidance; may we also look to Him for the opportunities that walk by us each and every day. Yes, mankind is our business. The common welfare. Charity, mercy, forbearance, benevolence. It's all our business.
This is a season where many of our hearts are open to those around us. We finally see one another as fellow travelers on the same journey. Let us not take for granted the moment in which we live. Give a meal, a hug, a smile, a kind word, and even some money. Allow your kindness to be a drop in the ocean of eternity. See the ripple that it creates. Watch in awe as the Father displays His goodness through you for all the world to see. You may, in fact, give someone the merriest Christmas they have ever experienced. Just don't let it stop here. You can be a gift that keeps on giving the whole year through. And why not? Our Father has chosen to be that gift to us.
Enjoy the journey!
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