"A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another."
John 13:34, KJV
Do you want to know what I absolutely love about this verse? It doesn't say "That ye love all Christians." It doesn't say, "That ye love all people of your race." It doesn't say, "That ye love your family and friends." It commands us to love one another.
This doesn't mean we get to pick and choose who we love. As Christians, more than often we think that we are just supposed to love other Christians. Other times, we think that this love is to only be spread to the poor or the helpless. However, we try and shun the ones who we consider "not our problem." We watch television and laugh at people who are different from us. We shy away from anyone we do not know because our parents always taught us to stay away from strangers. This is not how God intended for us to live.
Christians, including myself, love to put our blinders on to the outside world. We like to think since nothing is wrong with anyone we know than we did our job. Hello? Have you not being paying attention! I mean, just look at our country right now. Some people are swarming the streets; others, are hiding in fear of their lives. Those who got their way watch from a distance and laugh at the "ignorance" of others. People are getting hurt. People are hurting other people. People are scared to leave their homes because of their race or religious belief. How can we as Christians just sit back and let this happen?
It's time to take the blinders off. It's time to look around and see the hurt and pain all around us. Just because we might be OK doesn't mean everyone else is. God commands us to love others as we love ourselves. What if this was happening to you? What if you felt betrayed by your country? What if you felt rejection from your friends and family? What if you felt like you had nowhere to turn? Wouldn't you want someone there?
Get out of your perfect world and be there for someone. It's time to spread the love and acceptance that God commands of us. He doesn't give us any freedom to judge others. That isn't your call, it's His. All he ask of us is to love. He wants us to love everyone: family, friends, strangers, homeless, homosexuals, whites, blacks, police officers, criminals, drug addicts, alcoholics, etc. Love them all and spread the love.
"Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins."
1 Peter 4:8, KJV
