"Don't you worry if it's not in the near future...the code word will be "togetherness." –“How to Steal a Million”

Ever since I heard this small excerpt, the word "togetherness" has rested very closely to my heart. We see togetherness in how we eat our meals, in how we care for our young and old, and in how we draw close when a deep tragedy strikes.

These tragedies tear at us so deeply. Orlando is a broken people. My heart, and my sorrow goes out to any, and each affected. I am sorry for the lives that were lost, the families that are broken, and the souls that live in fear. We are together in our grief.

But, "More than machinery, we need humanity." More than pushing our ideals, more than shouts and screams and even anger, we need one another. We need quiet whispers, purposeful tears and helping hands. We need empathetic hearts, ready to love and ready to listen in any instant.

And yes, I understand difficult decisions must be made in light of this heartache. I understand that there is a time and a place for discussion. But these things will come as love is poured out unto those that are in need.

When Jesus came to us, He stepped down from His heavenly throne and took upon our sin and our grief in delicate flesh. He did not come to stand on high, recognize us for our flaws and our misgivings, He did not identify us as such. He recognized us for our humanity; our innate and desperate need for His love. I know this is said so much, but please listen; He saw us as children of the King, who wanted us more than words could express.

"Love others so radically, they wonder why."

We are so delicate, and death has no mercy. Find those that are broken. It's easy to love our friends, the people that help cater to our soul and who we have a symbiotic relationship with. I am challenging you now, love someone who can do absolutely nothing for you. Love the outcast, the weak. Love those that are hated. See them as people, first and foremost.

And as children of the Creator, we are one in Christ. He does not demand us for perfection before we enter in, He molds us into His likeness as we faithfully grow in Him. And so, as we each are molded, we must grow together as one body. Now is not the time to highlight right from wrong, to tell others that they must perfect themselves in order to become His. Now is the time to grieve as one, and to understand that love is not something we can merely turn on and off. No, love is something we must be. Our Father is just that, perfect love. He embodies that very definition. And so, we are called to his likeness. Every step, every interaction, everything must be done with love, as we together embody love.

This "togetherness," should not be a code word, it should be second nature. I promise you, the more we come together in the name of Christ, as Christ as our center, the more He will move, stir hearts, and make Himself very known among us. People do not change hearts, but God does.